Texas Tech Athletics
9-12,2-8Big 12
Kansas State
17-6,7-4Big 12
Gray shines, but Lady Raiders drop physical affair at K-State
February 05, 2022 | Women's Basketball
For the second time in two weeks, Gray had 30+ points
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Despite 36 points from senior All-American Vivian Gray, the Texas Tech Lady Raiders fell to projected Big 12 Player of the Year Ayoka Lee and the No. 25 Kansas State Wildcats, 82-75 Saturday night at Brantage Coliseum.
For the second time in 14 days, Gray was electric, scoring a season-high 36 points on 14-of-19 shooting. The three-time All-America selection was also 1-of-2 from 3-point range and a perfect 7-of-7 from the line in her 38 minutes of action.
Gray really caught fire for Texas Tech (9-12, 2-8 Big 12) in the third quarter, as the combo-guard scored 28 of her 36 points after the break. Making her last four shots of the third, Gray scored an identical 14 points in both the third and fourth periods. The 36 points were two shy of her career-high 38-point performance she had last Feb. 20 against Kansas. Gray had 32 points two weeks ago (Jan. 22) at Kansas.
In spite of picking up three fouls in the first period and her fourth foul just 31 seconds into the third period, guard Bryn Gerlich contributed four points and a game-high eight assists in her 24 minutes of action. The eight assists tied the guard's career-best output set back on Nov. 28 against New Mexico.
True freshman Chantae Embry also recorded a career-high, as the Norman native scored a career-best 11 points, shooting 3-of-4 from the field and 2-of-3 from distance.
The Wildcats (17-6, 7-4 Big 12) were led as usual by Lee, who had 31 points (12-of-15) and seven boards on just 15 shot attempts. The National Player of the Year Candidate was a team-best +21 in her 30 minutes of action. Three K-State players reached double-figures led by Jaelyn Glenn who scored 16 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Powered by Lee and Glenn, Kansas State scored 14 of the first 16 points to take a 14-2 lead with 7:02 to play.
Using a layup from Ella Tofaeono, Tech went on a 17-6 run over the next just under five minutes to draw to within 20-19 at the 1:47 mark.
Back-to-back buckets from Lee combined with multiple defensive stops, allowed the Cats to take a 24-19 lead into the quarter break.
After Tofaeono and the Lady Raiders scored the first seven points of the second to take a 26-24 lead with 6:37 to play, Kansas State scored the next four to take a 28-26 lead with 4:41 remaining in the half.
A Tatum Veitenheimer jumper tied the game at 28 all with 4:25 left, but Kansas State scored six of the final eight of the second to take a 34-30 lead into the break.
Taylah Thomas hit a layup for the Lady Raiders just 18 seconds into the third to bring Tech to within 34-32, but K-State used a 13-2 run over the next three minutes to take a game-high 47-34 advantage with 6:36 to play in the third.
Needing a run, Tech turned to its All-American, Gray, who scored 12 consecutive points from the 4:08 mark to the 1:34 mark. Gray's 12 points combined with a Bre'Amber Scott triple, brought the Lady Raiders to within 53-49 with 94 seconds to play and closed a 15-6 spurt.
After the two teams traded a pair from the line, K-State used one last Lee layup to take a 57-51 lead into the fourth.
In the fourth, five of the first seven and nine of the first 16 points went to the Wildcats as the home team led 66-58.
Following a Gerlich timeout, the Lady Raiders scored nine of the next 14 points to draw to within 71-67 with 3:49 to play.
Needing a stop, Tech forced a miss from Lee, but Jaeyln Glenn intercepted an errant pass and drove the length of the court for a layup that put K-State up 73-67 with just over three minutes to play.
On the ensuing Tech possession, the Lady Raiders again turned the ball over, allowing K-State to increase its lead to 75-67 with just 2:36 left.
A Gray and-one cut the K-State lead to just 75-70, but Lee and the Wildcats went on a 5-2 run to take a commanding 80-71 advantage with 1:22 left.
Gray's lone 3-pointer with 44 seconds to go brought the Lady Raiders to within five (80-75), but K-State sealed its 82-75 victory with a pair of free throws by Serena Sundell.
Sundell was an impressive 9-of-10 from the line, and scored 12 points and contributed seven assists.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE:
• Gray has now scored 106 points in the last four games (26.5 points).
• In two games in the State of Kansas, Gray scored 70 points this season.
• Gray has scored at least 10 points in all 24-games she has played in her career against an opponent ranked inside the AP Top-25.
• She has 482 points (20.1/game) against ranked opponents.
• Scott made two triples, and scored six points. She has made at least one three in six of the seven games she has played in this season.
• In her second game back she had six points in just under 24 minutes (23:47).
• Gerlich now has 95 assists on the season, and 182 for her Tech career.
• She is averaging 4.5 helpers per game this season, and had at least five assists for the 13th time this season.
• Gerlich has at least five dimes in four straight and five of six.
• In her last seven games she has 36 total assists (5.1)
• Neither Khadija Faye or Lexy Hightower saw action Saturday. Hightower has now missed the last two games and three of the last five due to injury.
• Hightower entered Saturday's play as the all-time active 3-point shooter (percentage) in the entire NCAA (D-I, D-II and D-III).
• After making a triple in the last five games, Rhyle McKinney missed her lone attempt from behind the arc. She had made her last five from deep, and was shooting 7-for-9 in the span.
• Embry's previous career-high was eight points against Texas State back on Nov. 22.
• In the third, K-State attempted 17 of its 28 free throws. Tech attempted just six in the period and 15 for the game. K-State made 13 of those 17.
• The Lady Raiders were whistled for 12 fouls in the third and 26 total for the game.
• Both Thomas and Tofaeono fouled out in the fourth, while Gerlich and Gray each finished with four fouls.
• Gerlich played her final 12 minutes of the game without committing a foul after being charged with her fourth foul in the third.
COACH SPEAK (HC KRISTA GERLICH):
"Tonight was a good basketball game and both teams really competed well and hard. Our kids battled through a lot of adversity tonight and never gave up. We stayed in the fight the whole game. Lee is a big problem and is having a great year. Every year that I've watched her play she's continued to get better and better. It's really difficult to prevent her from scoring if she catches the basketball in the paint. You need to keep her from catching it, and we didn't do a good job of that. So, she had a big night. But I thought that our kids really responded every time they made a run. Vivian Gray was an All-American tonight in every sense of the phrase, and our kids kept battling. K-State is a great place to play, and I've always enjoyed coming and playing here because of the atmosphere, and Jeff Mitte does a great job with his team. It was a tough battle tonight."
ON LEE SCORING 31 AFTER BEING LIMITED TO 12 POINTS IN LUBBOCK:
"We were a little bit undersized on the post tonight [without Hadi], so it was more difficult for us to keep Lee from catching it. I did feel like they did a great job of elevating their guards on the perimeter, which made it harder and tougher for us to help defensively on Lee. They did a great job of skipping the ball and moving it. And then Lee does a fantastic job with her footwork and understanding where the ball needs to go."
ON GRAY'S PERFORMANCE ON THE DEFENSIVE END AS WELL AS OFFENSIVELY:
"I've called Vivian the best two-way player in the nation multiple times the last two years. It's one thing to be great offensively, but it's a completely different thing when you're just as effective on defense. A lot of times we move Vivian around defensively because of her versatility. She'll go from guarding a post player to a point guard, and even a bigger player on the wing. Her backside help defense was really good tonight, and she has such good court vision and a high IQ. She's just a phenomenal player."
UP NEXT:
The Lady Raiders return to United Supermarkets Arena on Wednesday night when the Texas Longhorns make their annual voyage to Lubbock. Tech won the first matchup in Austin, 74-61 back on Jan. 5.
The game will also be Tech's National Girls and Women in Sports Day celebration which includes a free pre-game clinic for children 4-12. All registered participants of the clinic will receive one free general admission ticket and the opportunity to purchase additional $5 tickets.
