Looking to record its first Big 12 win of the season, Texas Tech (12-3, 0-2 Big 12) will also try to snap a two-game road skid against the Horned Frogs in the 60th meeting between the rival schools.
In the game:
Match: Texas Tech Lady Raiders (12-3, 0-2 Big 12) at TCU (6-7, 0-2 Big 12)
day January 7, 2023
Time: 5 pm
Location: Schollmaier Arena (Fort Worth)
Past tense:
Despite the guard’s 21 points and 11 rebounds Amber Scottthe Texas Tech Lady Raiders fell to No. 21 KU 77-59 on Wednesday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
Texas Tech (12-3, 0-2 Big 12) also had 11 points and four assists in the loss. Jasmine Shavers And a season-high eight points from Katie Ferrell.
Kansas (12-1, 2-0 Big 12) defeated Tech 44-26, with the difference in the contest found in the paint.
KU saw 66 of its 77 points come from guards Holly Kersgaeter, Zakiah Franklin and Tayanna Jackson. Kersgieter scored 26 and Franklin added 26. Jackson finished with 15 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks.
Finding Frogs:
TCU enters Saturday’s contest 6-7 overall and 0-2 in Big 12 conference play. Like the Lady Raiders, TCU began the Big 12 playing two of the best players in the Big 12, starting conference play against No. 23 Bayer before returning to Texas. The Frogs enter Saturday’s tournament with the worst record in the Big 12 and are the only Big 12 team ranked outside of 90th in the NET rankings. The Frogs were coached this season by Tommy Tallow and Bella Cravens. Tallow is averaging a team-best 13.6 points, while Cravens is shooting a team-best 49.1 percent from the field, averaging 6.6 points and 6.7 rebounds. Five different Horned Frogs reached double figures on Wednesday night with Knisha Godfrey’s 17 points. The Frogs have attempted the fifth most free throws (42) in program history, with four players attempting at least eight free throws. Cravens just missed a double-double in that contest with 13 points and nine rebounds. So far this season, TCU is 6-4 at Scholmaier Arena and 0-1 in Big 12 play.
Stories:
We will take that
Texas Tech has forced 167 turnovers over the past eight contests (18.6/game). Christa Gerlich chronology 24 vs. The Alabama State Lady Raiders have forced 276 turnovers as a team in their first 14 games (18.6). All of last season Tech forced 396. The Lady Raiders are 11-1 this season when they have forced more than 15 turnovers and forced at least 20 turnovers five times. Tech didn’t force at least 20 turnovers in a game last season. The Lady Raiders have forced 15 or more turnovers in 11 straight games.
We have to protect this house
The Lady Raiders are a perfect 12-0 this season when holding teams under 30 points per game. Tech allowed 34 points against JSU in the paint, 38 points against ISU in the paint Saturday and a season-high 44 against KU on Wednesday. Opponents are scoring just 22.9/game in the paint for the season. Tech outscored its opponents 414-344 in the paint.
Tough schedule to start Big 12 play
After opening with the preseason favorite and top-ranked team in the Big 12 (Iowa State), Tech travels to No. 21 KU, the team with the best overall record in the Big 12. 6 games against top 25/vote teams. Tech is scheduled to host No. 17 OU on Wednesday before hosting 2-0 Texas next week.
Come back again
Freshman Jazmin Shavers is the fourth time this week (Jan.) Shavers has been named Lady Raider Freshman of the Week and the second time this season that Shavers has earned the award. The guard joins Bailey Maupin. With two weekly winners. Maupin and Shavers became just the second teammates in Big 12 history with 27 back-to-backs. Kansas State’s Serena Sandel and Briley Glenn also had two back-to-back doubles. Maupin and Shavers are one of 17 running back teammates in conference history. The back-to-back honor marks just the third time in school history and the first time since 2003 that the Lady Raiders have earned back-to-back Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors. Shavers and Maupin join Erin Grant and LaToya Davis (2003) as the only teammates to win back-to-back Player of the Week honors. Shavers/Maupin and Grant/Davis join Melinda Schmucker/Kita Dickerson (1997) as the only teammates in school history to win Freshman of the Week at one time.
On the road again
After 37 days without leaving Lubbock, the Lady Raiders get on a plane bound for Kansas. Tech’s last flight prior to the KU game was Nov. 29 when Tech returned from Las Vegas. The game against KU was Tech’s first true road game in 45 days.
Bree is back!
High Amber Scott She is back in her senior season and playing at a high level. After missing the first two games of the season for personal reasons, Scott returned to the Lady Raider lineup before the Colorado game. Tech is now 10-2 in Scott’s 12 games this season. The guard missed Tech’s game against Mississippi Valley State after experiencing travel issues. Scott dressed for that tournament but didn’t play until he got into town at 8:30 Tuesday morning. The guard leads the team in points per game (13.5) and grabs a team-best 77 rebounds. Her 6.4 rebounds per game are the best on the Lady Raider squad. Scott made a team-best 62 free throws and made a team-high 73 attempts. Scott scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for her second career double-double Wednesday. Scott was also a perfect 8-of-8 from the line.
Big Jazz makes an impact
Houston transfer James Lewis He made an immediate impact after transferring to Tech. After recording just five career games with 10+ points in her 68-game UofH career, Lewis has eight games with 10+ as a Lady Raider (13 games). On Dec. 6 against Sam Houston, Lewis had one of her most efficient games by a Lady Raider this season, scoring 17 points in 12 minutes of action. Lewis is shooting 65.9 percent (54-82) from the field and has set new career-highs twice this season (A&M Corpus, Sam Houston). Lewis has 131 points in 233 minutes this season. After shooting 50 percent from the line as a Cougar, Lewis is shooting 71.9 percent (23-32) from the charity stripe this season.
We have lost the great Cat
Graduate student Katie “Big Cat” Ferrell made it back to her lineup with Sam Houston. Ferrell has missed seven straight games since injuring her hand in practice between A&M’s Corpus Christi and Jackson State games. Ferrell is the only active DI player in the nation to record 500 career points, 500 career assists and 700 rebounds. Against MVSU, Ferrell nearly had a scoreless triple-double as the UTA transfer grabbed six rebounds. Tech Ferrell is 6-2 and has outscored opponents by 92 points in 166 minutes this season.
Next:
The Lady Raiders return to United Supermarkets Arena on Wednesday night when they host No. 17 Oklahoma. Tip-off in Lubbock is set for 7 p.m.
