LADY RAIDER PREVIEW: No. 21/20 Texas

LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech Lady Raider basketball team returns home to face off with No. 21/20 Texas this Sunday. The Lady Raiders and Longhorns tip off at 3 p.m. on Sunday at United Supermarkets Arena. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

GAME INFORMATION
Venue: United Supermarkets Arena
Place: Lubbock, Texas
Opponent: No. 21/20 Texas
Date: Sunday, Jan. 17
Tip-off Time: 3 p.m. CT
TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
TV Talent: Brenda VanLengen and Ron Thulin
Radio: 107.7 FM
Radio Talent: Mark Finkner and Chuck Heinz

LADY RAIDERS TO HONOR NOEL JOHNSON
The Texas Tech women's basketball team will recognize the late Noel Johnson during halftime of the Lady Raiders' game against No. 21 Texas this Sunday. The team will also raise money for the Be The Difference Foundation, which aims to create awareness and improve the lives of all people affected by ovarian cancer through education, support and research.

Prior to the game, fans will have an opportunity to bid on Lady Raider gear to support the Be The Difference Foundation. Fans in attendance will also receive teal ribbons to raise awareness for ovarian cancer. At halftime, there will be a special video highlighting the dedication of the bench built in Johnson's memory outside United Supermarkets Arena, which will occur at a private ceremony earlier in the day.

Johnson, a member of the Lady Raider basketball team from 1991-95 and a key piece to Tech's 1993 NCAA Championship team, lost her battle with ovarian cancer last June at the age of 47. She was Tech's starting point guard for the run to the 1993 title, and was instrumental in the program winning four-consecutive Southwest Conference titles and reaching four NCAA Sweet 16's during her career in Lubbock.

LADY RAIDER QUICK HITS
- Lady Raider seniors Vivian Gray and Lexi Gordon have proven themselves as one of the top scoring tandems in the nation. The pair is one of six duos in the Power Five to both be averaging 17.5-plus points per game. Both ranking in the top eight of the Big 12 in scoring--the only duo ranking in the top 10 of the conference scoring list. Gray and Jones are also two of the five players in the Big 12 who have recorded six or more 20-point games this season.

- With 53 blocks this season, Tech ranks No. 19 in the country and No. 2 in the Big 12 in total blocks. The team is led by Vivian Gray, who has 19 on the year and is averaging a career best 1.6 per game and 2.6 over her last five games.

- Lady Raider juniors Najé Murray and Maka Jackson both turned in career highs in scoring against West Virginia on Wednesday, combining for 29 points. Murray scored a season high 18 points, while also contributing three assists, a block and two steals against the Mountaineers. Jackson turned in a strong game as well, adding 11 points, three rebounds, an assist and a block.

THE SERIES
- The Lady Raiders and Longhorns will be meeting for the 105th time in the long series between the two programs which dates back to 1977.
- Texas Tech is 29-75 against Texas in the series and 17-27 against the Longhorns in Lubbock.
- The Longhorns won the first 37 games in the series before the Lady Raiders grabbed their first win over Texas in 1991. Current head coach Krista Gerlich was on that Lady Raider team.

ABOUT THE LONGHORNS
The Texas Longhorns (9-2, 3-1 Big 12) come into Sunday's game ranked as high as No. 20 in the nation. The Longhorns have split their last two, falling, 92-58, at West Virginia last Saturday and defeating Kansas, 79-72, in Austin on Thursday night. Texas is led by one of the top players in the nation in Charli Collier, who is averaging 22.2 points and 10.3 rebounds to rank in the top three of the Big 12 in both of those categories. As a team, the Longhorns have found success when turning their opponents over, forcing 22.6 turnovers per game to rank No. 11 in the nation. Head coach Vic Schaefer is in his first season leading the Longhorn program.

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Players Mentioned

Lexi Gordon

Vivian Gray

Maka Jackson

Texas Tech University Athletics