Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
11-1,0-0Big 12
Tulsa
9-3,0-0AAC
Tech falls to Tulsa in Maui Classic
December 19, 2023 | Women's Basketball
MAKAWAO, Hawaii – Three Lady Raiders scored in double-figures, but Texas Tech dropped its first game of the year to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, 58-66, on Tuesday night at Seabury Hall.
Sophomore Jasmine Shavers led Texas Tech (11-1) in scoring for the sixth time this season as she totaled 16 points on the night. She was two rebounds away from a double-double after collecting eight boards while adding two steals against Tulsa (9-3).
Sophomore Bailey Maupin recorded 12 points and three rebounds and Kilah Freelon tallied 11 points and five rebounds (all of them offensive boards) for the Lady Raiders. Senior Elina Arike got a season-high in rebounds with seven while also scoring five points.
Texas Tech took an early, 4-2 lead over Tulsa after Freelon connected with two free throws and Shavers made a layup. The Golden Hurricane answered with a 13-0 run for the 15-4 advantage until Arike made a 3-pointer to stop their momentum at the 1:31 mark. Tulsa closed out the quarter with another layup and the 17-7 lead.
Tulsa opened the second period scoring the first four points before Rhyle McKinney posted a pullup jumper to spark a 6-0 run for Tech, highlighted by a last-second 3-pointer from Maupin, to cut into the Golden Hurricane lead at 21-14. Tulsa scored six of the next eight points for an 11-point advantage. With 1:36 left, Tech and Tulsa went back-and-forth with the Lady Raiders outscoring Tulsa 8-6 as they were now down by nine at the half.
The Golden Hurricane went on a 4-0 run to begin the third quarter until Shavers connected with a jumper to make it 37-26. No team would score for almost three minutes until Tulsa made two free throws to increase its lead. At 4:03, Freelon got an and one play as she drew a foul on a second-chance layup, but Tulsa answered with a 3-pointer to keep the advantage, 44-28. Tech would go on a 5-0 run as Freelon and Maupin got baskets, but Tulsa ended the period scoring the last three points to head into the fourth with the 47-33 lead.
Shavers scored the Lady Raiders' first four points of the final quarter as Texas Tech trailed by 12. Tulsa totaled the next five points before Saga Ukkonen hit a 3-pointer to start an 8-0 run for the Lady Raiders. At the 3:57 mark, Shavers stole the ball and was fouled on the fast break before hitting two of her free throws right after. Freelon and Maupin made some free throws before Tulsa's Temira Poindexter stopped Tech's run with a jumper. Ukkonen responded right back with one of her own as Tech trailed, 56-47. Shavers hit a long 2-pointer to get within seven points. Then, Tech inbounded the ball to Maupin who scored a quick 3-pointer, before Freelon made two more free throws to force a Tulsa timeout with 22 seconds left. However, Tulsa would hang on to win the game as Tech suffered its first loss of the year, 58-66.
UP NEXT
The Lady Raiders close out the Maui Classic tournament tomorrow against the Oregon State Beavers at 11:30 p.m. CT.
