Texas Tech University Athletics
Thursday, November 11
Lubbock, Texas
7 PM
Texas Tech Athletics
vs
Southeastern Louisiana
PREVIEW: Lady Raiders open the season against Southeastern Louisiana
November 10, 2021 | Women's Basketball
Texas Tech head coach Krista Gerlich goes for her 300th career win when the Lady Raiders host Southeastern Louisiana Thursday night.
LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech women's basketball team will open its 2021-22 season on Thursday against Southeastern Louisiana at 7 p.m. in United Supermarkets Arena. This begins the second year of head coach Krista Gerlich's tenure following a 10-15 season last year with a 9-6 record at home.
The Lady Raiders return three players from last year's squad, freshman center Khadija Faye, junior forward Bryn Gerlich and senior guard Wooden Award watch list honoree Vivian Gray. Coach Gerlich ushers in nine new players to her roster, three of those being freshmen.
Tech added a handful of transfers in the offseason, picking up plenty of experience with the signings of Bre'Amber Scott, Ella Tofaeono, Lexy Hightower, Taylah Thomas and Tatum Veitenheimer as well as freshman transfer Rhyle McKinney.
Scott joins the Red Raiders after spending the last season at Little Rock where she averaged 18.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game for the Trojans. Scott began her career at Mississippi State helping the Bulldogs to a 70-5 record over two seasons. During her sophomore season in Starkville, she averaged 7.1 points, 1.5 rebounds and 14.4 minutes per game for the Bulldogs.
Standing at 6 feet 5 inches Tofaeono adds size to the Lady Raiders roster. She spent the 2020-21 season at Texas A&M where she appeared in 16 games for the Aggies. Prior to her time in College Station, Tofaeono attended Midland College where she ranked among the top of the junior college ranks in rebounds.
Hightower is a familiar name in West Texas. The Amarillo native enjoyed a storied career at West Texas A&M where she became the only two-time Lone Star Conference Player of the Year in Lady Buffs history. Hightower finished her career as the sixth leading scoring in program history with 1,642 points and finished top 10 in seven categories including second in 3-pointers made (229) and 3-point FG% (44.1%).
Thomas makes the move to Lubbock after four seasons at Arkansas where she appeared in 128 games making 62 starts for the Razorbacks. She averaged 4.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 19.5 minutes per game. Thomas started every game as a senior, helping her team to an NCAA Tournament berth as a No. 4 seed.
Veitenheimer adds plenty of Big 12 experience, coming over to Lubbock after three seasons in Norman playing for the Sooners. While at Oklahoma she made 80 appearances and 46 starts, averaging 3.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
McKinney spent her freshman season at SMU playing in all six games, making three starts before the Mustangs opted out of the remainder of the 2020-21 season. In those six games she averaged 8.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals per contest.
Joining the six transfers are three freshmen: Chantae Embry, Saga Ukkonen and Lana Wenger.
Thursday's game will be the first in a four game homestand against Weber State on Tuesday, Lamar on Friday and Texas State on November 22 before heading to Katy, Texas for the Van Chancellor Classic.
Tech won its 2020-21 home opener 89-56 last season against The University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley. That was their fourth consecutive opening game win.
The last time these two teams met was in 2015 when the Lady Raiders won 113-51. The Lady Lions were picked to win the Southland Conference for the first time in program history coming off a 11-8 season in 2020-21 where they posted a 4-4 record on the road. The Lady Lions got their season started on Tuesday afternoon against Tulane, falling to the Green Wave 66-58. Thursday's game will end their two-game road trip as they head back for their home opener against LSU Shreveport on Monday.
Coach Gerlich looks to win her 300th career game as a head coach following 168 wins at West Texas A&M and 121 wins at UT-Arlington before her 10 wins last season at Tech.
The Lady Raiders return three players from last year's squad, freshman center Khadija Faye, junior forward Bryn Gerlich and senior guard Wooden Award watch list honoree Vivian Gray. Coach Gerlich ushers in nine new players to her roster, three of those being freshmen.
Tech added a handful of transfers in the offseason, picking up plenty of experience with the signings of Bre'Amber Scott, Ella Tofaeono, Lexy Hightower, Taylah Thomas and Tatum Veitenheimer as well as freshman transfer Rhyle McKinney.
Scott joins the Red Raiders after spending the last season at Little Rock where she averaged 18.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game for the Trojans. Scott began her career at Mississippi State helping the Bulldogs to a 70-5 record over two seasons. During her sophomore season in Starkville, she averaged 7.1 points, 1.5 rebounds and 14.4 minutes per game for the Bulldogs.
Standing at 6 feet 5 inches Tofaeono adds size to the Lady Raiders roster. She spent the 2020-21 season at Texas A&M where she appeared in 16 games for the Aggies. Prior to her time in College Station, Tofaeono attended Midland College where she ranked among the top of the junior college ranks in rebounds.
Hightower is a familiar name in West Texas. The Amarillo native enjoyed a storied career at West Texas A&M where she became the only two-time Lone Star Conference Player of the Year in Lady Buffs history. Hightower finished her career as the sixth leading scoring in program history with 1,642 points and finished top 10 in seven categories including second in 3-pointers made (229) and 3-point FG% (44.1%).
Thomas makes the move to Lubbock after four seasons at Arkansas where she appeared in 128 games making 62 starts for the Razorbacks. She averaged 4.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 19.5 minutes per game. Thomas started every game as a senior, helping her team to an NCAA Tournament berth as a No. 4 seed.
Veitenheimer adds plenty of Big 12 experience, coming over to Lubbock after three seasons in Norman playing for the Sooners. While at Oklahoma she made 80 appearances and 46 starts, averaging 3.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
McKinney spent her freshman season at SMU playing in all six games, making three starts before the Mustangs opted out of the remainder of the 2020-21 season. In those six games she averaged 8.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals per contest.
Joining the six transfers are three freshmen: Chantae Embry, Saga Ukkonen and Lana Wenger.
Thursday's game will be the first in a four game homestand against Weber State on Tuesday, Lamar on Friday and Texas State on November 22 before heading to Katy, Texas for the Van Chancellor Classic.
Tech won its 2020-21 home opener 89-56 last season against The University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley. That was their fourth consecutive opening game win.
The last time these two teams met was in 2015 when the Lady Raiders won 113-51. The Lady Lions were picked to win the Southland Conference for the first time in program history coming off a 11-8 season in 2020-21 where they posted a 4-4 record on the road. The Lady Lions got their season started on Tuesday afternoon against Tulane, falling to the Green Wave 66-58. Thursday's game will end their two-game road trip as they head back for their home opener against LSU Shreveport on Monday.
Coach Gerlich looks to win her 300th career game as a head coach following 168 wins at West Texas A&M and 121 wins at UT-Arlington before her 10 wins last season at Tech.
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