Texas Tech University Athletics
GAME PREVIEW: Oklahoma State at No. 13 Texas Tech
January 04, 2012 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 4, 2012
WHO: Oklahoma State Cowgirls (8-1) at No. 13/17 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (12-0)
WHEN: 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012
WHERE: United Spirit Arena (15,098) Lubbock, Texas
RADIO: Texas Tech Sports Network 97.3 FM (Lubbock)
PLAY-BY-PLAY: Steve Strain
ANALYST: Crystal Boles
TEXAS TECH - OKLAHOMA STATE SERIES
Texas Tech leads the all-time series 29-18, winning two of three contests last season including a 75-52 win in the first round of the Big 12 Championship in Kansas City. The Lady Raiders and Cowgirls exchanged home wins during the regular season. Texas Tech is 12-7 at home against OSU but the Cowgirls have won three of the last four meetings at United Spirit Arena. Tech snapped a three-game home losing streak to OSU last season with a 57-48 win on Feb. 26. This will be the first meeting between Texas Tech head coach Kristy Curry and Oklahoma State head coach Jim Littell.
PROBABLE STARTERS
TEXAS TECH LADY RAIDERS (12-0)
NO. NAME HT P YR STATS
23 Monique Smalls 5-6 G JR 7.8 pts/game
15 Casey Morris 5-9 G JR 10.2 pts/game
5 Christine Hyde 5-10 G JR 8.8 pts/game
41 Kelsi Baker 6-0 F SO 8.4 pts/game
20 Kierra Mallard 6-3 F SR 13.8 pts/game
OKLAHOMA STATE COWGIRLS (8-1)
NO. NAME HT P YR STATS
3 Tiffany Bias 5-6 G SO 11.8 pts/game
1 Taylor Schippers 5-8 G FR 5.4 pts/game
4 Liz Donohoe 6-0 F FR 15.2 pts/game
31 Kendra Suttles 6-1 F SO 11.0 pts/game
25 Lindsey Keller 6-2 F JR 7.7 pts/game
REMEMBERING THE 4
This past fall, The Big 12 Conference and the women's basketball community lost two tremendous ambassadors of the game in Oklahoma State Head Coach Kurt Budke and assistant coach Miranda Serna. They were killed in a plane crash on Nov.17 alongside OSU alumni Olin and Paula Branstetter while returning to Stillwater from a recruiting trip in Arkansas.
Today Texas Tech Athletics pays tribute to the memory of Coach Budke and Coach Serna and offer our condolences to our friends and colleagues at Oklahoma State University. To sign the online guest book and submit your own memories and condolences, please log on to www.okstate.com. Guns Up and Ride With Pride.
STARTS THIS SEASON: Monique Smalls (12), Christine Hyde (12), Casey Morris (12), Kierra Mallard (12), Kelsi Baker (10), Shauntal Nobles (2).
COACHING WINS
Kristy Curry won her 100th game at Texas Tech with a 58-57 win over San Diego on Dec. 30. She is second in all-time coaching wins at Texas Tech only to hall of fame coach Marsha Sharp. Here is how the all-time wins at Texas Tech break down by each head coach and era:
YEARS COACH RECORD
2006-now Kristy Curry 100-73
1982-2006 Marsha Sharp 572-175
1980-1982 Donna Wick 30-29
1977-1980 Gay Benson 73-47
1975-77 Susie Lynch 33-35
TOTAL 808-373
WIN, WIN, WIN
Texas Tech has a 40-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents following its 75-58 win over Western Kentucky last week. Tech has not lost a non-conference game at home since Dec. 4, 2007. The Lady Raiders are currently on a 10-game home winning streak overall, dating back to Feb. 16.
Texas Tech has an 12-game active win streak which is tied for fifth nationally as the longest active win streak. The Lady Raiders have not lost at home since Feb. 5, giving them a 10-game winning streak at United Spirit Arena.
ALL-TOURNAMENT
Shauntal Nobles and junior guard Chynna Brown were named to the Surf n' Slam Classic All-Tournament Team while senior forward Kierra Mallard was named Tournament MVP. Both Nobles and Brown came off the bench and did not start either game. Nobles had 22 points and 12 rebounds in the two games including a career-high 14 against CSU Bakersfield. Brown led Tech with 14 on Friday night and had seven rebounds in the two games. Mallard totaled 26 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks over the weekend.
MALLARD CLIMBS BLOCK RECORD BOOK
Senior forward Kierra Mallard had seven blocks over the weekend to bring her career total to 183. She is now third all-time at Texas Tech behind Crystal Boles (191) and Cisti Greenwalt (300).
IN ATTENDANCE
The Texas Tech - Penn State game on Dec. 3 was the 11th-highest attended game this season for all NCAA Division I women's basketball games. There were 8,932 fans that packed United Spirit Arena to watch Tech beat Penn State, 70-66.
UNDEFEATED
Texas Tech is only one of two undefeated teams in the Big 12 (Baylor) and only one of six teams nationally.
RECORD NIGHT
Junior guard Casey Morris scored a career-high 24 points and had a career-high six 3-pointers to lead Texas Tech on Dec. 21. Morris beat her previous high of 23 points in last season's loss against Texas A&M on Feb. 5, She hit five 3-pointers twice last season at home against Sam Houston State (Nov. 28, 2010) and Oklahoma State (Feb. 26). She's set five career-highs this season for points, 3-pointers, rebounds, assists and steals.
800 AND COUNTING
Texas Tech won its 800th game on Nov. 26, 2011 with a 76-43 win over Central Arkansas. With the win, Tech became only the 15th NCAA women's basketball program to win at least 800 games in program history.
All-Time Winningest Programs (By Wins, Updated Jan. 2)
Rank Team First Season Wins Losses
1. Tennessee 1903 1,173 259
2. Louisiana Tech 1975 1,007 220
3. Old Dominion 1970 932 335
4. James Madison 1921 914 493
5. Stephen F. Austin 1969 914 378
6. Texas 1977 877 297
7. Ohio St. 1966 875 363
8. Tennessee Tech 1971 841 425
9. Stanford 1977 842 276
10. Georgia 1974 822 346
11. Penn St 1965 816 376
12. Kansas St 1969 812 481
13. Connecticut 1983 808 181
13. Texas Tech 1975 808 373
13. Long Beach St 1964 808 461
16. Auburn 1972 804 367
17. Green Bay 801 305
BEST START
Texas Tech head coach Kristy Curry is 12-0 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.
RECORD NIGHT
Texas Tech shot a season-best 53.3 percent from the field (24 of 45) and eight or more 3-pointers for the fourth time this season (8 at Houston, 9 vs. Penn State, 10 vs. Texas-Arlington).
DEFENSE HOLDS DOWN WKU
Texas Tech held Western Kentucky to just 22 percent shooting on the floor (13 of 59) - the lowest field goal percentage by a Tech opponent this season. The 13 field goals ties an opponent low for 2011 (Central Arkansas). The 38 points scored are also the lowest by a Tech opponent.
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 3.86-to-1 assist to turnover ratio, totaling 50 assists and only nine turnovers.
SWIPING CLEAN
Texas Tech leads the Big 12 Conference and is No. 7 nationally with 14.8 steals per game this season. The Lady Raiders have 18 or more steals against four opponents this season (UTA, Texas State, UMKC and New Mexico).
SCORING BIG
Texas Tech is second in the Big 12 in scoring margin (27.9) and sixth overall in the country. The Lady Raiders are also second in conference in scoring with 81.6 points per game, 8th nationally.
OFF THE BOARDS
The Lady Raiders lead the Big 12 Conference in offensive rebounds with 20.58 per game and are second in the conference in rebounding defense (32.9) and in rebounding offense (48.2). They also lead the conference in rebounding margin (+15.3) which is also fifth-best among all NCAA Division I teams. Shauntal Nobles (3.58), Kierra Mallard (3.5 offensive rebs/game) and Kelsi Baker (2.67) are in the Top 15 in the Big 12 for offensive rebounds per game.
