Tech heads to Norman seeking top-15 win

Wednesday, February 15

Norman, Okla.

6 p.m.

Texas Tech Athletics

Oklahoma

Tech heads to Norman seeking top-15 win

February 14, 2023 | Women's Basketball

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The Lady Raiders and No. 12/15 OU tip at 6 p.m. Wednesday

By: Andrew Stern

NORMAN, Okla. – The Texas Tech Lady Raiders hit the road to Norman to face No. 15/12 Oklahoma Wednesday night at Lloyd Noble Center.

Seeking to win in Norman for the second consecutive season, Texas Tech (16-9, 4-8 Big 12) will look to snap a two-game losing streak overall.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
MATCHUP: Texas Tech Lady Raiders (16-9, 4-8 Big 12) at No. 15/12 Oklahoma (20-4, 10-3 Big 12)
DATE: February 15, 2023
TIME: 6 p.m.
LOCATION: Norman, Okla. (Lloyd Noble Center)

LAST TIME OUT:
Despite a pair of 18-point performances from Bryn Gerlich and Bre'Amber Scott, the Texas Tech Lady Raiders fell 78-67 Saturday afternoon to Kansas at United Supermarkets Arena.

The difference in the contest could be found in the paint, as Texas Tech was outscored 42-16.

Guard Bailey Maupin continued her strong play since returning completely from injury. Maupin scored 12 points in 24 minutes of action hitting 5-of-11 from the floor and 2-of-4 from behind the arc. It's her fourth straight game with at least 11 points.

Kansas (16-7, 6-6 Big 12) was led by forward Tiyanna Jackson who scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 36 minutes and 32 seconds of action. Jackson was one of three Jayhawks in double figures, as guards Zikiya Franklin and Holly Kersgieter added 20 and 18 respectively.

SCOUTING THE SOONERS:
• Oklahoma enters Wednesday's matchup at 20-4 overall and 10-3 in Big 12 Conference play. The Sooners have won four straight games overall and 9-of-11 overall. OU is an impressive 11-1 this season at the Llyod Noble Center. Baylor was the only team this season to defeat OU. The Bears won that contest 81-70 back on Jan. 3
• Oklahoma has played nine games since coming to Lubbock back on Jan. 11. The Sooners are 7-2 in that stretch and have wins over OSU, Baylor and KU. At home this season in B12 play, the Sooners have outscored opponents by 50 points. The majority of that margin has come the last two games when they defeated TCU (101-78) and WVU (93-68) by 23 and 25 points respectively.
• The Sooners are second in the country in scoring offense (86.9 PPG) and lead the country in assists (21.3). OU's 11-0 this season when scoring 90+ points and 17-0 when scoring 80 or more. The four OU losses have featured 58 (Texas), 70 (Baylor), 78 (Utah) and 78 (Iowa State), meaning that OU has reached at least 70 points in 23-of -24 games.
• Four Sooners are averaging in double figures while two more average 8.4 PPG. G/F Madi Williams leads the way for OU. Williams has scored 16.2 points per game and grabs 6.2 rebounds. She also has 68 assists and 31 steals. Williams had 14 and 6 in Lubbock playing in just 21 minutes due to foul trouble.
• Ana Llanusa has contributed 13 and 3.6 per game followed by Taylor Robertson (11.6/3.7) and Skylar Vann (11.3/7.0). Robertson is the all-time leading 3-point shooter in NCAAWBB history (513) and now has the most starts in OU history (141). The Sooners have started the same five starters (Williams, Robertson, Nevaeh Tot and Liz Scott) all season. The group has combined for 477 career starts.

STORYLINES:
SCORING PUNCH
• Bryn Gerlich has taken her offensive game to a different level the last four games. After scoring a career-best 25 points at Oklahoma State, Gerlich scored 16 points against K-State and at UT before adding 18 points against KU. Gerlich has now scored 65 points the last four games and has increased her PPG from 7.7 to 9.4. Gerlich has had six of her nine double figure games this season occur during conference play. The guard has scored 15+ in four straight games for the first time in her career. Gerlich has never reached double figures in five straight games in her career.

BIG KAT, BIGGER IMPACT
• Grad student Katie "Big Kat" Ferrell made her much anticipated return to the lineup against Sam Houston. After injuring her hand in practice between the A&M Corpus Christi and Jackson State games, Ferrell missed seven straight games. Ferrell is the only active D-I player in the country to have recorded 600 career points, 500 career assists, 700 rebounds and 75 blocks, . Against MVSU, Ferrell nearly had a triple double without points, as the UTA transfer grabbed six rebounds had seven assists and had five steals. Tech is 7-4 Ferrell plays 20+ minutes and 8-1 when she records three or more assists. The guard-forward has fouled out in eight games this season including seven of 12 Big 12 games. Ferrell has been in significant foul trouble (4+ fouls) in nine of Tech's 11 B12 games. The lone two she hasn't been in foul trouble were UT and K-State (both Tech wins).

GOTTA GET TO THE LINE
• The free throw line, especially in Big 12 play has been a great indicator of whether or not the Lady Raiders have won or not. Tech is 2-0 in Big 12 play this season when out attempting its opponents from the line. The number jumps to 3-2 when attempting more. The Lady Raiders are 3-1 in B12 play when making 20+ attempts. The Lady Raiders are 1-7 this season in conference games when they make fewer attempts and just 2-7 when getting out attempted from the line by a conference foe. Win number one when making fewer attempts came in the home win against K-State.

BRE'S LEADING THE WAY
• Senior Bre'Amber Scott is back for her senior season and is playing at a high level. After missing the first two games of the season due to personal reasons, Scott made her return to the Lady Raider lineup before the Colorado game. Tech is now 14-8 this season in Scott's 22 games. The guard leads the team in points-per-game (17.2) and has grabbed a team-best 139 rebounds. Her 6.3 rebounds a game are also the best on the Lady Raider squad. Scott has also made a team-best 126 free throws and has taken a team-high 156 attempts. The guard has attempted at least one free throw in every game this season except at OSU. Bre has scored at least 18 points in 11 of 12 conference games.

4X4
• In Tech's Feb. 5 win over K-State the Lady Raiders had four players score at least 16 points. Scott led the way with 18 points followed by Jazz Shavers 17 point performance. Gerlich and Maupin rounded out the quartet scoring 16 each. The 67 points scored are the most by four player since the 19-20 season when Sydney Goodson (21), Brittney Brewer (18), Alexis Tucker (17) and Jo'Nah Johnson (17) combined for 73 points in a 98- 60 win over FAMU (Nov. 18, 2019).

WE'LL TAKE THAT
• Texas Tech has forced 327 turnovers over the last 19 contests (17.2/game) including a Krista Gerlich Era record 24 vs. Alabama State. As a team the Lady Raiders have forced 427 turnovers through the seasons first 25 games (17.1). All of last season Tech forced just 396. The Lady Raiders are 13-3 this season when forcing more than 15 turnovers and have forced at least 20 turnovers five times. Tech did not force at least 20 turnovers in a game at all last season.

WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE
• The Lady Raiders are 15-2 this season when holding teams to under 30 points in the paint and 16-2 when holding teams to 32 or less in a game. Oklahoma State scored 48 points in the paint back on Feb. 1. Tech is 0-6 this season when allowing 35+ paint points in B12 play. The only game Tech has lost this season when holding a team under 30 points in the paint was Jan. 21 at WVU when the Mountaineers scored just 14 points in the paint.

UP NEXT:
The Lady Raiders open a two-game homestand on Saturday afternoon when they welcome Oklahoma State for senior day. Tip-off from United Supermarkets Arena is set for 2 p.m. with senior festivities scheduled for around 1:30 p.m.