Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Penn State
Lady Raiders Suffer First Loss
December 05, 2010 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 5, 2010
Penn State Postgame Press Conference
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After starting the season 8-0, the Texas Tech women's basketball team suffered its first loss of the season by losing at Penn State, 76-68, at the Bryce Jordan Center Sunday afternoon as part of the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge.
Penn State (7-2) jumped out to a 9-0 lead to start the game before Tech (8-1) scored its first point on a free throw by Casey Morris at the 17:37 mark. The Lady Raiders' first basket was at 17:18 on a layup by Jordan Barncastle to put the score 9-3.
The Lady Lions controlled the first half as they went up by as many as 10 points twice with the first coming at 8:03 as Mia Nickson made two free throws, and then again with 58 seconds to go in the period when Nickson again hit a pair of free throws.
The Lady Raiders closed the gap to four with 5:50 to go as Chynna Brown made a layup. Down by 10 with four seconds to go in the game, Tech got the ball back after a Penn State turnover and Barncastle nailed a three-pointer as time expired to cut the Lady Lions' lead to seven, 38-31, at the half.
Tech came out in the second half and outscored Penn State 7-2 in the first four and half minutes to tie the game at 40-40. That was the only tie of the game, in a game that the Lady Raiders never led in.
Tech got within one with 13:51 remaining when Monique Smalls hit a three-pointer to move the score to 46-45. The Lady Lions got up by as many as 11 points in the second half, their largest lead of the game, which occurred with 36 seconds left in the contest.
Kierra Mallard was Tech's top scorer with 12 points and Morris added 11. Mallard collected nine rebounds and Smalls tallied six steals.
Nickson led Penn State with 26 points and 14 boards.
The Lady Lions shot 54.7 percent (29-53) from the field to Tech's 37.3 percent (22-59). Penn State also outrebounded the Lady Raiders 38-30.
Tech returns to Lubbock to play its last home game of the month on Tues., Dec. 7, against Northwestern State at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on the Texas Tech Sports Network.
