Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Host Missouriin Regular-Season Finale
March 05, 2009 | Women's Basketball
March 5, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Game 30 vs. Missouri • March 7, 2009 • United Spirit Arena
Lubbock, Texas • 2 p.m. • TTTN
The Game
Texas Tech (15-14/5-10) returns to the United Spirit Arena for its regular-season finale against Missouri (13-15/4-11) on Sat., March 7, at 2 p.m. It is the 16th meeting between the two schools.
On the Air
The game is being televised on the Texas Tech Television Network, which airs locally in Lubbock on My Lubbock TV, and as Drew Dougherty (play-by-play) and Crystal Boles (color commentary) call the game. The game can be heard on the radio on the Texas Tech Sports Network as Ryan Hyatt and Stephanie Gerber call the game. The game can also be heard on the internet at www.texastech.com through RaiderVision All-Access. Live streaming is also available through RaiderVision All-Access and live stats are available through gametracker at www.texastech.com.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 15-14 on the year and 5-10 in the Big 12 after losing at No. 3/3 Oklahoma, 61-49, on Wednesday. On the year, senior Dominic Seals is averaging 13.5 points per game followed by junior Jordan Murphree at 10.9 and freshman Kierra Mallard at 9.9. Seals and Mallard are the top rebounders, each grabbing 7.9 boards per outing. Seals is shooting 44.1 percent from the field and junior Maddy Brown has a team-high 33.8 percent from the three-point line. Junior Tilmila Martin is shooting a team-best 85.1 percent from the free throw line. Senior Maria Moore has a team-high 88 assists, while Seals is the top shot blocker with 35 blocks. Murphree leads the team in steals with 46. The Lady Raiders are shooting 38.8 percent from the field, 30 percent from three-point range and 71.2 percent from the charity stripe.
Scouting the Opponent
Missouri owns a 13-15 overall record and is 4-11 in Big 12 play after losing to No. 23/22 Iowa State, 62-47, on Tuesday in Columbia. In that game, junior Jessra Johnson scored a team-high 10 points and senior Alyssa Hollins added nine. Johnson, sophomores Shakara Jones and RaeShara Brown and freshman Bekah Mills all had six rebounds apiece. Jones and Brown each dished out four assists and Brown collected four steals. On the year, Johnson paces the Tigers in scoring with a 13.3 average followed by Hollins at 12.9 and Jones at 10.3. Johnson is the top rebounder, averaging 6.9 rebounds per contest. Brown has team highs of 61 assists and 74 steals. Johnson is the top shot blocker with 26 blocks. Mizzou is shooting 38.6 percent from the field, 28.1 percent from the three-point arc and 62.4 percent from the free throw line.
The Coaches
Texas Tech head coach Kristy Curry is in her third season at the helm of the Lady Raiders. Curry has compiled a record of 47-46 at Tech and a career record of 226-97 in her 10th year. Cindy Stein is in her 11th year as head coach of the Tigers with a record of 173-157. She is also in her 14th year as a head coach with a career record of 238-178.
Series Record
It is the 16th meeting between Texas Tech and Missouri with the Lady Raiders holding a 10-5 advantage over the Tigers. Mizzou was victorious last season, 68-59, in Columbia on Jan. 12, 2008. Tech won the last game in Lubbock, 63-55, on Jan. 17, 2007. The Lady Raiders are 7-0 against the Tigers in Lubbock.
Last Time vs. Missouri ~ Jan. 12, 2008
The Texas Tech women's basketball team suffered its second-straight loss in the Big 12 play, falling at Missouri, 68-59. The first 20 minutes of play saw six lead changes with the Lady Raiders biggest lead of the first half of six points coming at 9:26. Tech went into the locker room at half with a three-point advantage at 36-33. In the second half, the Lady Raiders got their largest lead of the game with 13:54 to go in the contest on a jumper by Keisha Walker to put Tech up 47-38. With just over five minutes to go in the game, the Tigers regained the lead at 56-55 on a layup by Amanda Hanneman - a lead they would never relinquish. Dominic Seals led Tech with 17 points, while Erin Myrick finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Lady Raiders outrebounded Missouri 36 to 23. Mizzou was led by Alyssa Hollins with 25 points as she hit five of the Tigers' nine three-pointers in the game. Amanda Hanneman chipped in 13 points. Tech's 25 turnovers led to 31 Missouri points.
Last Time Out
(AP) - Courtney Paris added to her record-setting double-double total with 12 points and 16 rebounds in the final home game of her illustrious career, and No. 3 Oklahoma survived a sloppy senior night to beat Texas Tech 61-49 and clinch the Big 12 championship outright.
Danielle Robinson added 18 points and Courtney's twin sister, Ashley, had 15 points and 10 rebounds to help the Sooners (26-3, 14-1 Big 12) overcome 23 turnovers.
After the Sooners trailed at halftime at home for only the second time this season, Robinson scored the final six points in a 10-0 surge that pushed Oklahoma ahead to stay. Her last two points came on a pair of free throws following a technical foul called against Kierra Mallard during a scrum for a loose ball, and that made it 38-30 with 16:09 to play.
Mallard and Dominic Seals led Texas Tech (15-14, 5-10) with 11 points apiece.
A Look Ahead
Texas Tech will play in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship that will be held March 12-15, at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Change in Lineup
Head coach Kristy Curry has used 11 different lineups in 28 games this season. One lineup has been used in 15 games - Ashlee Roberson (F), Dominic Seals (F) Kierra Mallard (C), Maria Moore (G) and Jordan Murphree (G). Tech is 6-9 with this lineup.
First Top 10 Win in Curry Era
Texas Tech got its first win over a top 10 team in the Kristy Curry era as the Lady Raiders upset then No. 8/12 Texas, 65-62, in its Big 12 opener. It was the first time Tech had beaten a top 10 since beating No. 5 Baylor, 64-62, on Feb. 15, 2006, in Lubbock. Tech then got another top 10 win as it defeated then No. 12/8 Texas A&M, 60-53, on Feb. 11, in Lubbock, snapping a six-game losing streak against the Aggies.
Tech vs. the Top 25
Texas Tech is 2-9 against teams ranked in the top 25. The Lady Raiders suffered their first loss to a ranked opponent as they fell to then No. 3/3 California, 68-54, on Nov. 28, in St. Thomas. Tech got its first top 25 win of the season on Jan. 10, with a 65-62 triumph over Texas in Lubbock before losing at then No. 8/6 Texas A&M, 67-56, on Jan. 13. The Lady Raiders then lost at home to then No. 18/15 Kansas State, 60-48, on Jan. 21, and then No. 5/4 Baylor, 76-64, on Jan. 24, before losing at then No. 16/18 Texas, 77-46, on Feb. 8. Tech got its second top 25 win in a 60-53 triumph over then No. 12/8 Texas A&M on Feb. 11, in Lubbock. The Lady Raiders lost a heartbreaker to then No. 2/2 Oklahoma, 80-72, in Lubbock on Feb. 17. Tech then lost at then No. 6/7 Baylor, 83-53, on Feb. 25. Tech fell to then No. 25/24 Iowa State, 59-52, on Feb. 28, in Lubbock. The Lady Raiders lost at then No. 3/3 Oklahoma, 61-49, on March 4.
Roberson Snatches Career High
Junior Ashlee Roberson collected a career-high five steals against the Sooners breaking her previous career high of four, which she had versus Savannah State on Feb. 2.
Three in Double Figures at OU Seniors Dominic Seals and Maria Moore and freshman Kierra Mallard all scored in double figures in the loss at No. 3 Oklahoma last Wednesday. It marked the 24th time this season for Seals to score in double digits, while it was the 15th time for Mallard and the 14th for Moore.
Mighty Mallard
Freshman Kierra Mallard had her 15th game of the year of double-figure scoring as she had 11 points at No.3/3 Oklahoma. All but two of her double-digit outputs have come in the last 20 games. For the first nine games of the season, Mallard was averaging 7.1 points, and in the last 20 contests she has upped that average to 11.1 points per game. She has also increased her rebound average as well, grabbing 5.4 boards to start the season compared to 9.0 rebounds in the last 20 games.
Double Duty
Senior Dominic Seals turned in her 11th double-double performance of the year and the 20th of her career at Tech as she had 16 points and 11 rebounds against Iowa State. She also hit her first career three-pointer. Seals has had double-digit rebounds 11 times this season.
Martin Contributes Off Bench
Junior Tilmila Martin came off the bench and scored 11 points in 13 minutes of play for her fifth double-figure scoring game of the season.
Poor Shooting Nights
In their two losses last week, the Lady Raiders shot only 27.5 percent from the field at No. 6/7 Baylor and 27.6 percent against No. 25/24 Iowa State. Those two percentages were the second and third-lowest shooting percentages of the season. Its lowest shooting percentage of the season was 25 percent (15-60) versus Iowa on Nov. 27, in the Paradise Jam tournament.
Season High From the Stripe
The Lady Raiders shot a season-high 91.3 percent from the free throw line at No. 6/7 Baylor last Wednesday. Tech hit 18-straight free throws before missing their first shot. Tech finished the game 21-of-23 from the charity stripe as freshman Kierra Mallard was a perfect 10-for-10.
Mallard Receives Second Big 12 Freshman of the Week Honor
Freshman Kierra Mallard was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Freshman of the Week after she averaged 6.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in Texas Tech's games against No. 2 Oklahoma and at Oklahoma State the week of Feb. 16-22. The Dallas, Texas, native scored five points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out a career-high three assists and added a steal in Tech's eight point loss to OU. In the win at Oklahoma State, Mallard had seven points, 11 rebounds and a block. Mallard also was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week on Jan. 5 for her performances against UCLA and Arkansas.
Murphree Has Back-to-Back 20-Point Games
For the first time in her career, junior Jordan Murphree turned in back-to-back 20-plus scoring games. In the 80-72 loss to No. 2 Oklahoma, Murphree poured in a career-high 25 points, and then scored 20 points in the win at Oklahoma State. Her previous career high was 22 points, which she scored against Arkansas in January.
Tenth Double-Double for Seals
Senior Dominic Seals recorded her 10th double-double of the season as she tied her season-high 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds at Oklahoma State.
Charity Shots
The Lady Raiders attempted a season-high 38 free throws at Oklahoma State, connecting on 27 of those shots for 71.1 percent. Senior Dominic Seals had 16 of those attempts, marking the first time a Lady Raider had attempted 15 or more free throws in a game since Plenette Pierson attempted 15 against Missouri on Jan. 28, 2003.
Seals Back in Double Digits
Senior Dominic Seals scored 17 points versus the Sooners in Lubbock for her 21st game of double-figure scoring. She just missed another double-double with nine rebounds.
Moore Comes Back
After injuring her left knee against Texas A&M on Feb. 11 and only playing three minutes at Nebraska on Feb. 14, senior point guard Maria Moore returned to the starting lineup against Oklahoma and at Oklahoma State and had back-to-back games of double-figure scoring as she had 13 and 11 points, respectively, against OU and OSU.
Cleaning the Glass
Junior Ashlee Roberson collected 11 rebounds versus Oklahoma, marking her third double-digit rebound game of the season. She grabbed a career-high 14 against Oklahoma State earlier this year and had 13 versus Arkansas in January. And then freshman Kierra Mallard had her seventh double-digit rebounding game as she collected 11 boards at Oklahoma State. Six of those 10-plus rebounding games have come during Big 12 play.
Hitting the 3
Junior Jordan Murphree hit a career-high four three-pointers in Tech's loss at Nebraska. Her previous career high was three on three occasions in her career.
Big Minutes for Tiny
Senior Tiny Henderson got 34 minutes of playing time at Nebraska, which matched her season high in minutes as she also played 34 minutes against Washington in November. Henderson scored 10 points, tied her season-high six rebounds and tallied a season-high three steals against the Huskers. Her 10 points were just the second time this season she had scored in double figures. She scored a season-high 11 points versus South Florida in the Paradise Jam back in November.
Balanced Attack
For the fourth time this season and the first time in Big 12 play, the Lady Raiders had five players score in double figures in their win over No. 12/8 Texas A&M on Feb. 11. Freshman Kierra Mallard led the way with 15 points, while juniors Jordan Murphree and Tilmila Martin both finished with 12 points. Seniors Dominic Seals and Maria Moore had 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Three Post Double-Doubles
Texas Tech had three players post double-doubles in the loss to Oklahoma State. Senior Dominic Seals finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while freshman Kierra Mallard had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and junior Ashlee Roberson had 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. It marked Seals' eighth double-double of the season and 17th of her career, while it was the third of Mallard's career. Roberson picked up her first double-double of the season and third of her career.
On the Tube
Texas Tech has 12 regular-season games televised this season. The Lady Raiders will appear on FSN twice, FSN Rocky Mountain (FSNRM) and Mountain West Sports Network (MWSN) once each and the Texas Tech Television Network (TTTN) seven times. Tech played at New Mexico (L, 54-63) on MWSN. The Lady Raiders hosted Baylor (L, 64-76) and played at Nebraska (L, 56-62) both on FSN. Tech was on FSNRM at Colorado (W, 66-60). Tech's seven games on the TTTN include UNLV (W, 75-63), UCLA (W, 72-62), Kansas State (L, 60-48), Oklahoma (L, 72-80), Iowa State (L, 52-59) at Oklahoma (L, 49-61) and Missouri (Mar. 7). The game on Jan. 3, against Arkansas will be televised by Arkansas on the Cox Sports Television.
Follow the Lady Raiders
All Lady Raider basketball games can be heard live on the Texas Tech Sports Network on KFYO-AM 790 and KKCL-FM 98.1 locally. Listen to play-by-play by Ryan Hyatt as he takes the court with the Lady Raiders. The following radio stations will air the Lady Raider basketball games this season:
Haskell/Abilene - KVRP-FM (97.1)
Hereford - KPAN-AM/FM (860/106.3)
Lamesa - KPET-AM (690)
Lubbock - KFYO-AM/KKCL-FM (790/98.1)
Plainview - KVOP-AM (1090)
