Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Baylor
Lady Raiders head to Waco Saturday
February 24, 2023 | Women's Basketball
Tech will look to win at the Ferrell Center for the first time in nearly two decades
Tip-off from the Ferrell Center is set for 5 p.m.
With a victory, Texas Tech (17-11, 5-10) would snap a 27-game losing streak to the Bears and would win in Waco for the first time since the 2003-04 season.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
MATCHUP: Texas Tech (17-11, 5-10 Big 12) at Baylor (17-10, 8-7 Big 12)
DATE: Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023
TIME: 5 p.m.
LOCATION: Ferrell Center (Waco, Texas)
LAST TIME OUT:
Down 17 points with 4:40 to play in the second quarter, the Lady Raiders faced an up-hill climb.
But much like the victory over Colorado back on Nov. 16, Krista Gerlich's team kept swinging.
Down by 13 (34-21) at intermission, Gerlich had a simple yet pointed message for her team.
Come out the locker room ready to fight or don't come out at all.
Message received, loud and clear. Down by four points with 20 seconds to play, the situation looked dire.
But again, like they have all season, the Lady Raiders never stopped fighting.
Following the timeout, McKinney was fouled on a 3-point attempt. Shooting just her sixth, seventh and eighth free throws in Big 12 play, the SMU transfer made all three.
The clutch shots brought Tech to within 68-67 with 14 seconds left. Rather than fouling, the Lady Raiders desperately tried to force a steal or a turnover.
With just over 10 seconds to go, Tech trapped Sarah Bates. Bates eluded the double team and set a wild pass in the direction of Quinerly. The guard was able to get a hand on the ball, before losing control.
Sensing an opportunity, Ferrell dove on the loose ball and forced a tie-up. With the possession arrow facing right toward the Lady Raider bench, Tech was awarded possession with 6.6 left. Ferrell took the ball out of bounds on the ensuing possession and fired an overhead two hand pass in the direction of a cutting Gerlich. The ball was tipped by a pair of Mountaineers before falling to the ground on the right-block.
With 5.5 left, the ball was scooped up by McKinney, who calmly took one dribble and banked home a layup from four feet out.
The shot gave the Lady Raiders a 69-68 lead with 3.1 ticks left on the clock.
After the Mountaineers spent their final timeout, Quinerly caught the ball in the short corner and took a dribble. With just under a second to play the sophomore rose and sent a 12-foot jumper that clanged off the rim just before the buzzer sounded.
SCOUTING BAYLOR:
• Like Tech, Baylor snapped a four-game losing streak with a win on Wednesday. The win that Baylor got on Wednesday was a 67-57 win at TCU. In that game, five different Bears reached double-figures led by true freshman Bella Fontelorys team-high 14. Guards Ja'Mee Asberry and Sarah Andrews added 12 each while forward Caitlin Bickle added 12 points before fouling out. Projected Big 12 Freshman of the Year Darianna Littlepage-Bugg scored 10 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for her 13th career double-double and ninth in Big 12 play.
• Prior to the win on Wednesday, Baylor had lost back-to-back 20 point games both at OSU (77-56) and at K-State (87-68)
• So far this season Baylor is 10-5 at the Ferrell Center and 3-4 in Big 12 play.
• Four Bears average in double-figures on the year led by guard Sarah Andrews. A candidate for Big 12 Player of the Year, Andrews is averaging 15.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. She also had 115 assists, the secon-most on the team.
• Grad student Caitlin Bickle is second on Baylor in scoring (12.3) and rebounding (7.6) while guard Ja'Mee Asberry averaging 11.1. The fourth Bear averaging in double-figures is Little-Page Buggs. The freshman averages 10.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
STORYLINES:
IT ALL BEGAN AGAINST HER FORMER TEAM
• 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 98 points the last six games and has increased her PPG from 7.7 to 9.6. Gerlich has had eight of her 11 double figure games this season occur during conference play. The guard saw a career-best six game double figure streak snapped Wednesday.
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 9-2 when she records three or more assists. The guard-forward has fouled out in eight games this season including seven of 13 Big 12 games. Ferrell has been in significant foul trouble (4+ fouls) in nine of Tech's 12 B12 games. The lone two she hasn't been in foul trouble were UT and K-State (both Tech wins). Ferrell has now reached double-figures in back-to-back games after not scoring more than nine in the first 26 games.
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 3-2 in Big 12 play this season when out attempting its opponents from the line. The number is 4-4 when attempting more. The Lady Raiders are 3-2 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 15-10 this season in Scott's 25 games. The guard leads the team in points-per-game (17.4) and has grabbed a team-best 158 rebounds. Her 6.3 rebounds a game are also the best on the Lady Raider squad. Scott has also made a team-best 141 free throws and has taken a team-high 178 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 12 of 14 conference games and has reached double figures in all but one.
GOING BACK-TO-BACK
• The Lady Raiders have played 110 minutes of basketball the last two games. On Saturday, Tech played 3 OTs falling to OSU. On Wednesday, the Lady Raiders played two more OTs downing WVU. Tech is the first P5 program to go multiple OTs in back-to-back contests since Maryland in 2008.
WE'LL TAKE THAT
• Texas Tech has forced 377 turnovers over the last 22 contests (17.1/game) including a Krista Gerlich Era record 24 vs. Alabama State. As a team the Lady Raiders have forced 477 turnovers through the seasons first 28 games (17.0). All of last season Tech forced just 396. The Lady Raiders are 13-5 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 16-2 this season when holding teams to under 30 points in the paint and 17-2 when holding teams to 32 or less in a game. Oklahoma State scored 48 points in the paint back on Feb. 1. Tech is 0-7this 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. OU scored 44 of its 84 points in the paint.
UP NEXT:
The Lady Raiders return home for the regular season finale against TCU. Tip-off from United Supermarkets Arena is set for 7 p.m.
