PREVIEW: Lady Raiders Open Postseason Against Kansas State

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Texas Tech Lady Raider basketball team opens play at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship on Thursday night against Kansas State. The Lady Raiders and Wildcats tip off Thursday at 8 p.m. at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City on ESPN+.

GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Municipal Auditorium
Place: Kansas City, Mo.
Opponent: Kansas State
Date: Thursday, March 11
Tip-off Time: 8 p.m.
TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
TV Talent: Chuckie Kempf and Brenda VanLengen
Radio: 107.7 FM
Radio Talent: Mark Finkner and Chuck Heinz

LADY RAIDER STORYLINES
- For the third time in her career, Texas Tech senior Vivian Gray was named to the All-Big 12 First Team on Wednesday. She's the only active player in the conference to have received the award each of the last three seasons.

- Texas Tech first-year head coach Krista Gerlich has had a successful first season at the helm of her alma mater, and will look to make more firsts for the program this weekend in Kansas City. With the Lady Raiders finishing seventh in the Big 12 standings, it marks the highest conference finish for a Lady Raider team under a first-year head coach in the Big 12 era.

- Gerlich is also one win away from her 300th career victory. Overall, the first-year Lady Raider head coach is 299-161 for her career, including 121-94 in seven seasons at UT Arlington, 168-53 in seven seasons at West Texas A&M, along with her 10 wins in her first season leading the Lady Raiders.

THE SERIES
- The Lady Raiders and Wildcats will be meeting for the 41st time in the two program's histories when they clash on Thursday in Kansas City.
- Kansas State has gotten the best of the Lady Raiders in recent years, and lead the all-time series, 26-14.
- Both meetings this season have been tight, with the home team winning each contest--including an overtime win by the Lady Raiders in Lubbock last month.
- Naje Murray has averaged 20.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in those two games against the Wildcats this season.
- Tech and K-State haven't met at the Big 12 Tournament since 2010, which was a 59-51 Wildcat win. Overall, the two teams are 2-2 against each other in four Big 12 Tournament games.

ABOUT THE WILDCATS
The Kansas State Wildcats (8-17, 3-15 Big 12) enter the Big 12 Tournament as a deceptive No. 10 seed, with more than half of their Big 12 losses coming by 10 or fewer points. The Wildcats have dropped a pair of tight games against No. 20 West Virginia and at Oklahoma in their last two. K-State is led by Ayoka Lee who ranks in the top 10 of the conference in points, rebounds and blocks, averaging 19.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. As a team, the Wildcats rank third in the Big 12 in three-pointers made, led by Christianna Carr's 2.4 makes from long range per game. Head coach Jeff Mittie is in his seventh year in Manhattan.

LAST TIME OUT
The Texas Tech Lady Raider basketball team came up short on Monday night at Oklahoma, falling to the Sooners, 88-79, at Lloyd Noble Center in the regular season finale.

The Lady Raiders were led by 20-point nights from Lexi Gordon and Vivian Gray. Gordon had 23 points, two rebounds, an assist and a steal. Gray had another stellar night as well, posting 22 points, five rebounds, three assists, one block and three steals. Both only had one turnover each.

Freshman Khadija Faye finished with 10 points, five rebounds and an assist. All seven Lady Raiders to see the floor on Monday reached five points or more.

PREVIEW: Lady Raiders Open Postseason Against Kansas State

Players Mentioned

Khadija Faye

Lexi Gordon

Vivian Gray

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