LADY RAIDER PREVIEW: at Kansas

LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech Lady Raider basketball team looks to build on last weekend's big win as they travel to Lawrence, Kan., to take on Kansas. The Lady Raiders and Jayhawks are set to tip off on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse.

GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Allen Fieldhouse
Place: Lawrence, Kan.
Opponent: Kansas
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 20
Tip-off Time: 7 p.m. CT
TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: 107.7 FM
Radio Talent: Mark Finkner and Chuck Heinz

LADY RAIDER QUICK HITS
- Not only was Texas Tech's win over the Longhorns the program's first win over Texas since 2013. It also made Krista Gerlich the first Lady Raider head coach to tally a top-25 win in her first season since the 2006-07 season. That year, Kristy Curry's Tech team defeated No. 21 UCLA and No. 24 Texas.

- Lady Raider senior Vivian Gray is on pace for a career season and has proven herself as well-rounded a player as anyone in the country as she passes the halfway point of the 2020-21 campaign. At 20.1 points per game, Gray is averaging a career high in scoring, and is far above her career best field goal efficiency, shooting 46.5 percent from the floor through 13 games. Her ascension hasn't been isolated to her scoring, however, as she's averaging 8.2 boards per game--well on pace to surpass her previous best average of 5.5 as a sophomore. With 19 blocks on the year and averaging 1.5 per game, Gray is just 17 away from her career high single-season total of 36.

- Lady Raider juniors Najé Murray and Maka Jackson have both stepped up big for Tech in the last two games, combining for games of 29 and 24. Murray scored a season high 18 points against the Mountaineers and 13 in the win over the Longhorns. Jackson has tied her season high in two straight games, scoring 11 at West Virginia and in the win over Texas.

- Lexi Gordon stepped up in the clutch for the Lady Raiders against Texas, scoring 10 of her 14 points in the fourth quarter to help Tech knock off the Longhorns. Gordon has scored 10-plus in eight-straight games and has an 11-game streak with at least one three-pointer.

THE SERIES
- The Lady Raiders and Jayhawks will be meeting for the 36th time in the series history between the two teams.
- Texas Tech has gotten the better of the series so far, going 23-12 against Kansas since the first meeting in 1978.
- The Lady Raiders have won seven of the last 10 over the Jayhawks, after splitting two games last season with the home team winning both.
- Tech is 10-7 all-time at Allen Fieldhouse and have won two of their last three in Lawrence.

LAST TIME OUT
The Texas Tech Lady Raider basketball team earned its first win over in-state rival Texas in eight years on Sunday, defeating the Longhorns, 74-66.

The Lady Raiders were led by senior standout Vivian Gray, who recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 24 points to lead all scorers and a career high 13 rebounds. Lexi Gordon finished with 14 points—including 10 in the fourth quarter—along with five rebounds and three assists.

Najé Murray added 13 points for her second-straight game in double figures, also adding four rebounds. Maka Jackson had 11 points for the second-straight game to tie her season high. Alexis Tucker had six rebounds to finish second on the team in boards, also scoring six points and forcing a pair of steals.

The Lady Raiders held the Longhorns to their lowest shooting performance of the season so far: a 20-for-61 mark from the floor (32.8 percent)—including a 2-for-19 third quarter.

The Longhorns outscored the Lady Raiders, 16-15, in the first quarter to hold a slight lead after one. It would end up being the only period where Tech got outscored, as the home team held a scoring advantage in the second, third and fourth frames.

EYEING THE OPPONENT
The Kansas Jayhawks (5-4, 1-2 Big 12) are coming off a couple of narrow Big 12 losses at Texas (72-79) and TCU (78-81, OT) last week. The Jayhawks have played only two games since the turn of the New Year, with their last win coming on Dec. 29 against New Mexico State. Kansas is led by Holly Kersgieter, who ranks No. 8 in the conference in scoring at 17.1 points per game, while also ranking third in the league in three-point shooting at 39.0 percent. Led by Ioanna Chatzileonti (9.4 rpg--No. 5 in the Big 12), the Jayhawks are the second-leading rebounding team in the conference, averaging 45.7 per game. Brandon Schneider is in his sixth season leading the Jayhawks.

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Players Mentioned

Lexi Gordon

Vivian Gray

Maka Jackson

Alexis Tucker

Texas Tech University Athletics