Texas Tech University Athletics
GAME PREVIEW: No. 10 Texas Tech at Oklahoma
January 11, 2012 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 11, 2012
Who: No. 10/14 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (14-0, 2-0) at Oklahoma Sooners (9-4, 1-1)
When: 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012
Where: Lloyd Noble Center (11,528) Norman, Okla.
TV: Texas Tech Sports Network (KMYL, Suddenlink 106 in Lubbock)
Radio: Texas Tech Sports Network 97.3 FM (Lubbock)
Play-by-play: Steve Strain
TEXAS TECH LADY RAIDERS (14-0, 2-0 Big 12)
Coach: Kristy Curry
Overall: 281-124 (13)
at Tech: 102-73 (6)
vs. Oklahoma: 1-12
NO. NAME HT P YR STATS
23 Monique Smalls 5-6 G JR 7.9 pts/game
15 Casey Morris 5-9 G JR 10.2 pts/game
5 Christine Hyde 5-10 G JR 7.9 pts/game
41 Kelsi Baker 6-0 F SO 7.6 pts/game
20 Kierra Mallard 6-3 F SR 14.1 pts/game
OKLAHOMA SOONERS (9-4, 1-1 Big 12)
Coach: Sheri Coale
Overall: 345-159 (16)
at OU: 345-159 (16)
vs. Tech: 20-12
NO. NAME HT P YR STATS
3 Aaryn Ellenberg 5-7 G SO 18.3 pts/game
10 Morgan Hook 5-10 G SO 11.7 pts/game
25 Whitney Hand 6-1 G RS-JR 11.5 pts/game
53 Joanna McFarland 6-3 F JR 8.1 pts/game
4 Nicole Griffin 6-6 C SO 5.2 pts/game
TEXAS TECH - OKLAHOMA SERIES
Texas Tech and Oklahoma are an even 22-22 in the series against each other all time. Both teams took advantage of home courts last season before meeting a third time in the Quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championship in Kansas City. OU beat Tech, 71-61 in Norman last season before falling in Lubbock, 61-56. The Sooners edged out Tech in Kansas City, 71-69. Texas Tech is 9-12 in Norman. Head coach Kristy Curry won her first game in 11 tries against OU last season and goes for her first win in Norman. She is 0-5 at Lloyd Noble Center.
STARTS THIS SEASON: Monique Smalls (14), Christine Hyde (14), Casey Morris (14), Kierra Mallard (14), Kelsi Baker (12), Shauntal Nobles (2).
LAST TIME OUT
NO. 13 TEXAS TECH 69, MISSOURI 63
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Chynna Brown scored 17 points to help No. 13 Texas Tech remain unbeaten with a 69-63 victory over Missouri on Saturday.
The Lady Raiders (14-0, 2-0 Big 12) are off to their best start since the 2003-04 season, when the team started 15-0. Saturday's win was Texas Tech's first in Columbia since 2004, with both teams trading home wins the past seven seasons.
Neither team could separate itself throughout the first half and into the second, but Brown's two free throws with 4:19 remaining capped an 11-0 run by the Lady Raiders, giving them a 62-53 lead.
Missouri's Sydney Crafton converted a three-point play with 52.8 seconds left to narrow the deficit to 66-63, and after a missed Texas Tech 3-point attempt, the Tigers had a chance to tie the game with 15 seconds remaining.
But Missouri's Christine Flores missed from long range and BreAnna Brock failed to put in a layup after grabbing the rebound.
Casey Morris then iced the game with two free throws with 12.4 seconds remaining.
Flores led Missouri (10-3, 0-2) with 16 points.
WIN, WIN, WIN
Texas Tech extended its winning streak to 14 games with a 58-53 win over Oklahoma State. The Lady Raiders are just one of two Big 12 Conference teams (Baylor) who are still undefeated and one of four teams nationally who are undefeated (Baylor, Green Bay, Maryland).
BEST START
Texas Tech head coach Kristy Curry is 14-0 for the first time in her 13 years as a head coach. Tech is off to its best start since the 2003-04 season when the Lady Raiders got off to a 15-0 start.
IN THE RANKS
Texas Tech matched its highest Associated Press Poll and USA Today/Coaches Poll rankings in six years with a No. 10 ranking in The AP Poll and No. 14 in the Coaches Poll. Tech has been ranked for eight consecutive weeks now in The AP Poll and six weeks in the Coaches Poll.
NATIONAL LEADER
Texas Tech junior point guard Monique Smalls had a career-high 11 assists on Dec. 7 against UTA. She also did not have a turnover for the third-consecutive game. Smalls is currently leading the country with a 4.13-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, totaling 50 assists and only nine turnovers.
MALLARD CLIMBS BLOCK RECORD BOOK
Senior forward Kierra Mallard has 13 blocks in her last four games to bring her career total to 189. She is now third all-time at Texas Tech behind Crystal Boles (191) and Cisti Greenwalt (300). She had a season-high five blocks in Texas Tech's 58-53 win over Oklahoma State on Jan. 4.
ONE LAST TIME
Texas Tech won its first game at Missouri for the first time since 2004. Saturday's 69-63 win was also the first win in Columbia for Tech head coach Kristy Curry. Tech is now 3-5 in Columbia in what was likely the final meeting between the two teams at Mizzou Arena as conference foes. Tech will host Missouri on Feb. 5 before the Tigers leave the Big 12 Conference for the SEC next season.
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?
Texas Tech junior guard Chynna Brown seems to embrace playing Missouri. In the last two contests against the Tigers, Brown has totaled 39 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists, hitting 54 percent of her shots from the field (13 of 24). She scored a game-high 17 points on Saturday and had a career-high 22 points last season against Mizzou in Lubbock.
