Texas Tech University Athletics
Game Prevew: Missouri takes on Lady Raiders
February 04, 2012 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 4, 2012
No. 25 Texas Tech looks to bounce back on Sunday.
Missouri Tigers (10-10, 0-9) at No. 25 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (15-6, 3-6)
When: 1 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012
Where: United Spirit Arena (15,098) Lubbock, Texas
TV: FOX Sports Net (National)
Play-by-Play: Brent Stover / Analyst: Brenda VanLengen
Radio: Texas Tech Sports Network 97.3 FM (Lubbock)
Play-by-Play: Steve Strain / Analyst: Crystal Boles
TEXAS TECH - MISSOURI SERIES
Texas Tech leads the all-time series against Missouri, 13-6 and is 10-1 at home against Mizzou. The two teams have traded home wins over the past seven seasons until this year when Tech snuck by Missouri on Jan. 7 with a 69-63 win. This will be just the third meeting between Curry and Missouri head coach Robin Pingeton. Texas Tech won the meeting in Lubbock last year, 63-56, overcoming a 14-point deficit as Chynna Brown led the Lady Raiders with 22 points off the bench. She also had 17 points in the game on Jan. 7.
TEXAS TECH LADY RAIDERS (15-6, 3-6 BIG 12)
Coach: Kristy Curry
Overall: 282-130 (13)
at Tech: 103-79 (6)
vs. Mizzou: 4-2
PROBABLE STARTERS
NO. NAME HT P YR STATS
23 Monique Smalls 5-6 G JR 8.6 pts/game
15 Casey Morris 5-9 G JR 9.2 pts/game
5 Christine Hyde 5-10 G JR 9.0 pts/game
1 Jordan Barncastle 6-2 F SR 4.9 pts/game
33 Shauntal Nobles 6-3 F SO 6.4 pts/game
MISSOURI TIGERS (10-10, 0-9 BIG 12)
Coach: Robin Pingeton
Overall: 359-185 (17)
at A&M: 23-28 (2)
vs. Tech: 0-3
PROBABLE STARTERS
NO. NAME HT P YR STATS
32 Liene Priede 5-10 G JR 7.3 pts/game
21 Sidney Crafton 5-10 G JR 6.7 pts/game
15 Kyley Simmons 5-7 G FR 3.6 pts/game
50 Christine Flores 6-3 F SR 18.1 pts/game
22 BreAnna Brock 6-2 F SR 14.6 pts/game
REMEMBERING Judith Smith
On January 26, 2012, the Texas Tech women's basketball program lost a member of its family when former Lady Raider Judith Smith passed away at the age of 25. Smith played at Texas Tech from 2004-06 for Hall of Fame head coach Marsha Sharp, and played in 27 games as a freshman, averaging five points per game with a season-high 14 against Baylor. In her final season in 2005-06, Smith averaged 3.7 points per game in 15 games.
TEXAS TECH STARTERS (GAMES STARTED THIS YEAR)
G Monique Smalls (21), G Casey Morris (21), G Christine Hyde (21), F Jordan Barncastle (2), F Shauntal Nobles (5).
MALLARD RETURNS
Texas Tech senior forward Kierra Mallard returned to the court for her first game minutes since the end of the Iowa State game on Jan. 22. She missed two consecutive games with an undisclosed injury before returning in the first half of Wednesday night's game. She finished with 8 points and 6 rebounds.
BARNCASTLE GETS SECOND START
Senior forward Jordan Barncastle started for the second consecutive time this season. It's the first time she's started in consecutive games since last season. Barncastle finished the game with 7 points and 3 rebounds. She started her first game this season, scoring 19 points with 10 rebounds on Jan. 28 against Texas. It was her first double-double since Nov. 21, 2008 against Lamar - her third game and first career start at Tech. She started her first game since Jan. 22, 2011 (at Baylor).
LAST TIME OUT
NO. 18 TEXAS A&M 67, NO. 25 TEXAS TECH 55
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - Sydney Carter scored 17 points and Adaora Elonu added 16 to lead No. 18 Texas A&M to a 67-55 win over No. 25 Texas Tech on Wednesday night.
The Aggies held the Lady Raiders without a field goal for 6 minutes and Texas Tech started the second half 1-12 from the floor. Texas Tech (15-6, 3-6 Big 12 Conference) shot 30 percent for the game.
The Lady Raiders managed to cut the lead to six with a minute to play on a 3 by Casey Morris. But Texas A&M (15-5, 6-3) made all 10 of its free throws to seal the win.
Morris finished with 14 points for Texas Tech, which has lost six of seven.
Texas A&M never trailed and led 30-27 at halftime.
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.
NOBLES DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Texas Tech sophomore forward Shauntal Nobles started her fourth game of the season and second consecutive in place of Kierra Mallard. She scored 11 points and had 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. She had 10 points and 12 rebounds against Texas State on Nov. 30.
HOMECOURT ADVANTAGE
Texas Tech's crowd of 10,411 packed the United Spirit Arena on Saturday for the arena's second-largest crowd of the season. There were 12,403 at last week's game against No. 1 Baylor. Tech is averaging 7,646 fans per game at United Spirit Arena (12 games) which is 3rd in the Big 12 Conference and 8th nationally.
SWIPING CLEAN
Texas Tech leads the Big 12 Conference and is No. 24 nationally with 11.9 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).
MARGIN OF VICTORY
Texas Tech is second in the Big 12 Conference in scoring margin (13.7) and 19th overall in the country. The Lady Raiders are also fourth in conference in scoring with 73.2 points per game - 27th nationally.
OFF THE BOARDS
The Lady Raiders are second the Big 12 Conference in offensive rebounds with 17.4 per game and are third in the conference in rebounding offense (43.7%) and fourth in rebounding defense (35.3%). They are also second in the conference in rebounding margin (+8.4) which is also 17th-best among all NCAA Division I teams.
