Texas Tech University Athletics
GAME PREVIEW: New Mexico at Texas Tech
November 11, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Monique Smalls and the Lady Raiders open the 2011-12 season against New Mexico on Friday at United Spirit Arena.
Nov. 11, 2011
Who: New Mexico Lobos (0-0) at Texas Tech Lady Raiders (0-0)
When: 6 p.m., Friday, Nov. 11, 2011
Where: United Spirit Arena (15,098) Lubbock, Texas
TV: None
Radio: 97.3 FM (Lubbock)
Play-by-play: Steve Strain
Analyst: Crystal Boles
Last Meeting: Nov. 12, 2010 in Albuquerque, N.M. - Texas Tech 80, New Mexico 53
TEXAS TECH
The Lady Raiders open the season at home for the sixth time under head coach Kristy Curry, returning 11 players from last season's NCAA Tournament team that won 22 games. Tech is 33-3 in home openers and 5-0 under Curry and her staff. Tech won both of its exhibition games earlier this month against Angelo State (81-45) and Metro State (73-43). Tech beat New Mexico, 80-53, last season in Albuquerque in the season opener for both teams. Tech leads the all-time series 12-2.
NEW MEXICO
The Lobos enter the season under first-year head coach Yvonne Sanchez, who replaces long-time head coach Don Flanagan after spending 11 seasons as an assistant on his staff. The Lobos return just two starters from last season's team that went 13-18. New Mexico beat New Mexico Highlands, 65-45, last week in its only exhibition game. New Mexico lost Mountain West All-Conference pick Sara Halasz for the season after an ACL tear on Oct. 14.
PROBABLE STARTERS
TEXAS TECH LADY RAIDERS (0-0)
NO. NAME HT P YR 2010-11
23 Monique Smalls 5-6 G JR 6.3 pts/game
15 Casey Morris 5-9 G JR 7.4 pts/game
5 Christine Hyde 5-10 G JR 6.6 pts/game
20 Kierra Mallard 6-3 F SR 12 pts/game
33 Shauntal Nobles 6-3 F SO 2.6 pts/game
NEW MEXICO LOBOS (0-0)
NO. NAME HT P YR 2010-11
12 Nikki Nelson 5-5 G JR N/A
14 Jourdan Erskine 6-0 G JR 1.6 pts/game
23 Porche Torrance 6-1 G/F SR 8.0 pts/game
24 Caroline Durbin 6-0 G JR 5.2 pts/game
35 Chinyere Nnaji 6-0 G SO 0.8 pts/game
Against the Lobos
Texas Tech leads the all-time series 12-2, winning last year's contest in Albuquerque, 80-53. The Lady Raiders are 5-0 at home against the Lobos winning 65-55 at United Spirit Arena in 2009.
Texas Tech at home vs. New Mexico
2009 Texas Tech 65, New Mexico 55
2000 Texas Tech 80, New Mexico 56
1996 Texas Tech 66, New Mexico 35
1992 Texas Tech 96, New Mexico 38
1982 Texas Tech 98, New Mexico 76
OPENING ACT
Texas Tech is 33-3 in home openers and 5-0 under current head coach Kristy Curry. Tech only losses in home opener came in 2005 (LSU, 76-68), 1989 (Grambling State, 67-64) and its very first game in 1975 against Western Texas Junior College (83-40).
CHASING 800
Texas Tech is just four wins away from its 800th win in program history. The Lady Raiders have won an average of 22 wins per season - the same number they had overall last year, winning more than 20 games for the first time since 2004-05. Kristy Curry is also now 12 wins away from her 100th win, second only in Tech history to hall of fame coach Marsha Sharp. Here is how the wins break down by coach:
YEARS COACH RECORD
2006-now Kristy Curry 88-73
1982-2006 Marsha Sharp 572-175
1980-1982 Donna Wick 30-29
1977-1980 Gay Benson 73-47
1975-77 Susie Lynch 33-35
796-373
COMING HOME
Former Lady Raider Erin Grant returns to Lubbock, this time as an assistant coach in her first season under Yvonne Sanchez. Grant was also an assistant coach at Texas-Arlington. The Mansfield, Texas product played guard all four years at Texas Tech from 2002-06 and is the all-time assist leader in Texas Tech history with 844. She helped lead the Lady Raiders to three NCAA Tournament appearances including the Elite Eight in 2003.
FAMILY RIVALRY
Freshman guard Amber Battle will get to make her first appearance in a Lady Raider uniform against a familiar team. Battle grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico while starring at Cibola High School, just 12 miles from the University of New Mexico campus where her dad, Bruce, played basketball and her mother, Marcie, ran track for the Lobos. Bruce played 23 games from 1973-74, averaging 3.7 points per game.
BACK AGAIN
Texas Tech returns 11 players from last season's team that went 22-11 and made it back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Kristy Curry and the first time since she was hired in 2006.
