Tech faces K-State in opening round of Big 12 Championships

Thursday, March 9

Kansas City, Mo.

5 p.m.

Texas Tech Athletics

Kansas State

Tickets

Tech faces K-State in opening round of Big 12 Championships

March 07, 2023 | Women's Basketball

Texas Tech Game Notes (B12 First Round) Preview Presser Watch Live Stats Listen Tickets Big 12 WBB Championship Central

The Lady Raiders and Wildcats will clash at 5 p.m. Thursday

By: Andrew Stern

KANSAS CITY – After finishing the regular season eighth, the Texas Tech Lady Raiders will open play in the First Round of the Big 12 Championships presented by Phillips 66 against ninth-seeded Kansas State Thursday afternoon at 5 p.m. from historic Municipal Auditorium.

With a victory, the Lady Raiders (18-13) would record their third win this season over Kansas State (16-15) and would snap a two-game losing streak in Kansas City for the first time.

Tech is seeking to sweep three matchups against an opponent for the first time since 2004-05 when they swept Oklahoma State.

The winner of Thursday's First Round game will advance to meet top-seeded Texas Friday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. That contest will be broadcast live on ESPNU.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
MATCHUP: No. 8 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (18-13) vs. No. 9 Kansas State (16-15)
DATE: Thursday, March 9, 2023
TIME: 5 p.m.
LOCATION: Kansas City (Municipal Auditorium)
TOURNAMENT: Big 12 Women's Basketball Championships First Round

LAST TIME OUT (vs. Kansas State):
For the first time since the Big 12 Conference went to double-round robin, the Texas Tech Lady Raiders closed out a series sweep of Kansas State, downing the Wildcats 78-68, Sunday at United Supermarkets Arena.

In the victory, Texas Tech (16-7, 4-6 Big 12) received 18 points and nine rebounds from Bre'Amber Scott and 17 points and seven rebounds from freshman Jasmine Shavers.

Bryn Gerlich added 16 points and three assists, while freshman Bailey Maupin scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting. The 16-point performance for Maupin marks the first time she's surpassed 15 points in a Big 12 game this season.

Despite allowing Kansas State (14-10, 3-8) to attempt 29 free throws attempts, the Lady Raiders did a good job defensively, holding K-State to just 4-of-20 shooting from behind the 3-point arc.

In the two matchups, Tech held the Wildcats to just 11 made triples on 50 attempts (22 percent).

Guard Serena Sundell led the way for K-State Sunday, scoring 27 points on just seven field goal attempts. Sundell was 16-of-18 from the line and added four assists and four steals.

She was one of three 'Cats to reach double figures as Gabby Gregory scored 16 points on 13 shot attempts and Brylee Glenn added 12 points.

In the two matchups, the Big 12s leading scorer, Gregory, managed just 18 points on 6-of-20 shooting.

The Lady Raiders forced 18 K-State turnovers, turning them into 25 key points.

SCOUTING THE 'CATS:
• Kansas State enters Thursday's matchup having lost three straight games overall and four of five. The losing streak started for K-State back on Feb. 25 with a nine-point loss (67-58) in Morgantown. Last Wednesday the Wildcats lost a heartbreaker at Big 12 Co-Champion Oklahoma. Trailing 24-8 after 1 quarter of play, and 45- 29 after 20 minutes, K-State outscored OU 28-13 in the third quarter. Leading by two points with six seconds to go, K-State guard Gabby Greggory missed a pair from the line. OU tied the game three seconds later and ultimately won in overtime.
• The Wildcats were dealt a major blow this summer when forward Ayoka Lee re-injured her right knee. Lee who has missed the entire season was a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American after averaging 22 points and 10.3 rebounds. Lee scored 727 points a season ago and has over 1600 for her career.
• K-State has three players averaging in double figures led by the OU transfer Gregory, who has scored 561 points (18.7 per game). In K-State's last three losses Gregory has combined for just 28 points including a three point performance against UT. In the two previous matchups this season, Gregory scored 16 points (2/5) and two points (1/14). K-State was 0-9 in Big 12 play when Gregory didnt reach 20 points.
• The Wildcats lead the Big 12 and are seventh in the country in FTs made per game. K-State made 26 FTs in Lubbock and and 12 in Manhattan.

STORYLINES:

GERLICH MAKES HISTORY AT HER ALMA MATER:
• When guard Bre'Amber Scott earned First Team All-Big 12 honors Monday afternoon, HC Krista Gerlich became the only coach in Lady Raider history to record a First Team All-Conference selection in each of her first three seasons. When Gerlich returned to Tech she brought in guard Vivian Gray, who earned First Team All-Big 12 honors in both 2021-22 and 2020-21.

WELL REPRESENTED ON ALL BIG12s:
• The Lady Raiders placed three players on the various All-Big 12 teams. Bre'Amber Scott became the 18th Lady Raider to earn First Team All-Conference and the 12th player in the Big 12 era. Classmate Bryn Gerlich also joined the party, as the combo-guard was named a Big 12 Honorable Mention selection. Freshman Bailey Maupin was the third honoree, as the Gruver product was selected to the All-Freshman Team. Maupin is the sixth player in program history to All-Freshman honors. This season marks the first time in program history, Tech had a First Team, Honorable Mention and All-Freshman team selection.

MEET ME IN KC
• The Lady Raiders and Wildcats will meet for the third time this season on Thursday night in KC and for the second time in three seasons in the post season. HC Krista Gerlich seeks her first career Big 12 Tournament victory as the HC of her alma matter. Tech fell to K-State two season's ago before dropping a contest to OSU last season. A win Thursday night would set up the first Big 12 Tournament meeting between Tech and rival UT since the 2011-12 season. Tech won that matchup 81-58.

LOOKING AT OUR HALF
• The Lady Raiders found success against the four teams in their half of the B12 bracket (No. 1 Texas, No. 4 Oklahoma State, No. 5 WVU, No. 9 K-State). Tech went 2-0 this season against K-State and split with both Texas and WVU (won at home/lost on the road). The only team Tech didn't beat this season in its half of the draw is OSU.

ALL BIG 12 X3
• The Lady Raiders placed three members on the All-Big 12 Teams, as guards Bre'Amber Scott (First Team), Bryn Gerlich (Honorable Mention) and Bailey Maupin all received honors. Scott is the 12th First Team All-Big 12 selection joining the likes of Vivian Gray, Brittany Brewer, Erin Grant, Plenette Pierson, Jia Perkins and Alicia Thompson.

THERE'S ONLY ONE BIG KAT
• Grad student Katie "Big Kat" Ferrell recorded her 800th rebound and 100th block in Wed victory over TCU. Ferrell now has score 600 career points, grabbed 800 rebounds, dished out over 500 assists, blocked 100 shots and stolen the ball over 200 times. The UTA transfer joins former UCONN legend Maya Moore as the only two players since 1999-00 to record at least those totals in their career. ONE-TWO-THREE IN A YEAR
• Tech has defeated an opponent three times in a season just twice since 2002-03. The Lady Raiders swept all three matchups against Oklahoma State in both 2005-06 and 2002-03. Legendary Tech HC Marsha Sharp was the HC of both of those teams.

A PAIR OF SWWWWEPS
• Tech swept the regular season series with two opponents for the first time since 2019-20 and for just the second time since 2012-13.

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 4-3 in Big 12 play this season when out attempting its opponents from the line. The number is 5-5 when attempting more. The Lady Raiders are 3-2 in B12 play when making 20+ attempts. The Lady Raiders are 1-8 this season in conference games when they make fewer attempts and just 2-8 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.

FOUR STRAIGHT FIRSTS
• Guard Bre'Amber Scott was selected a First Team All-Big 12 selection. Scott became the fourth straight Lady Raider to earn First Team All-Big 12 honors joining Brittney Brewer (2019-20) and Vivian Gray (2020-21; 2021-22). Tech is one of four schools to record four straight first team selections: Baylor, Iowa State and K-State are the other three. Scott scored 467 points (16.7/game) to finish third in the Big 12. Scott needs just 83 points to recorded the 20th all-time 550 point season in Lady Raider history. The guard also needs just 18 points on Thursday night to reach 1,000 for her career.

WE'LL TAKE THAT
• Texas Tech has forced 426 turnovers over its last 25 contests (17.0/game) including a Krista Gerlich Era record 24 vs. Alabama State. As a team the Lady Raiders have forced 526 turnovers through the seasons first 31 games (17.0). All of last season Tech forced just 396. The Lady Raiders are 14-6 this season when forcing more than 15 turnovers and have forced at least 20 turnovers six 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 17-2 this season when holding teams to under 30 points in the paint and 18-2 when holding teams to 32 or less in a game. Oklahoma State scored 48 points in the paint back on Feb. 1. Tech is 0-9 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.