Women's Basketball Plays Southwest Texas State On Friday

Nov. 24, 1999

Southwest Texas State Bobcats (2-0) vs. #17/17 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (2-0)

November 26, 1999 ? Lubbock, Texas ? 7 p.m.
United Spirit Arena (15,050)

Friday?s Game

Texas Tech will play Southwest Texas State on Friday, Nov. 26 in the United Spirit Arena. It will be the ninth meeting between the two teams. The Lady Raiders are ranked 17th in both the Associated Press and the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 polls this week.

Scouting the Opponents

Southwest Texas State 2-0 after beating Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 85-48, Nov. 19 and Centenary, 108-51, Nov. 20. In their last game, the Bobcats had five players scoring in double figures: senior Sarah Wagner (21), sophomore Kendall Arant (18), sophomore Morgan Moylan (18), senior Shawn Manning (12) and sophomore Amber Morrow (11). Wagner leads the team in scoring with a 22.0 average, while Manning has grabbed 6.5 boards per outing.

SWT is shooting 51.2 percent from the field, 39.3 percent from three-point range and 70.9 from the free throw line.

Head coach Suzanne Fox is in her third season at SWT with a 12-42 record and in her eighth year of head coaching with a 129-75 overall mark.

Series Records

Texas Tech holds a 6-0 advantage over Southwest Texas State and a 2-0 mark in the Marsha Sharp era. In their last meeting, the Lady Raiders were victorious, 78-47, on Jan. 11, 1992.

Probable Starters

Texas Tech Lady Raiders

Head Coach: Marsha Sharp (408-129, 18th season)

Pos.   Name (Ht., Yr., Hometown)                             PPG   RPG   FG%    FT%F-15   Aleah Johnson (6-1, Sr., Carrollton, Texas)           1.5   4.0   .542   .714F-25   Keitha Dickerson (6-0, Sr., Elk City, Okla.)         12.0  11.5   .450   .500C-54   Plenette Pierson (6-1, Fr., Kingwood, Texas)         13.0   9.5   .409   .727G-3    Melinda Schmucker-Pharies (5-9, Sr., Nazareth, Texas) 1.5   4.5   .111   .200G-24   Katrisa O?Neal (5-6, Jr., Plainview, Texas)          15.0   5.0   .321   .750

Top Returning Reserves

G-32   Amber Tarr (6-0, So., Ozona, Texas)                   2.5   2.5   .250   .000G-10   Kristi Washington (5-10, Jr., Garland, Texas)         2.0   1.5   .400   .000C-34   Tanisha Ellison (6-1, So., Houston, Texas)            1.0   3.0  1.000   .000

Southwest Texas State Bobcats

Head Coach: Suzanne Fox (12-42, third season)

Pos.   Name (Ht., Yr., Hometown)                             PPG   RPG   FG%    FT%F-44   Sarah Wagner (5-9, Sr., Fort Smith, Ark.)            22.0   3.0   .704   .000F-45   Shawn Manning (6-1, Sr., Harvey, La.)                 9.5   6.5   .500   .455C-50   Amber Morrow (6-2, So., Humble, Texas)                7.5   5.0   .500   .778G-12   Jessica Hall (5-9, Sr., Topeka, Kan.)                 6.5   2.5   .625   .500G-24   Jocelyn Browning (5-7, Sr., St. Louis, Mo.)           8.0   3.0   .375   .500

A Look Back

Marsha Sharp and company made it a perfect 2-0 record in the new United Spirit Arena with a 69-52 thumping of Rice Tuesday night.

The Lady Raiders shot just 42.9 percent from the floor but was able to overcome that by forcing 26 Rice turnovers.

Rice started the game by going on an 8-0 run but the Lady Raiders responded after a Keitha Dickerson free throw led to 10 straight Tech points. Tech overcame a late Lady Owl first half charge to take a 25-23 lead at the half.

In the second half, Tech rattled off 10 points while holding Rice scoreless until 15:57 remaining in the half when Kirra Jordan hit a jumper to put the Lady Owls on the board. Dickerson scored 14 points and grabbed four rebounds, in the second half, to put the game out of reach.

Junior Katrisa O'Neal led all scorers with a career-high 17 points. Keitha Dickerson, Aleah Johnson and Plenette Pierson finished with 16, 15 and 14 respectively. Dickerson also grabbed 15 rebounds, while Pierson had 10.

Lady Raider Head Coach Marsha Sharp

One of the most respected and well-known coaches in Texas Tech history, head coach Marsha Sharp is 408-129 in her 18th year at the helm of the Lady Raiders. The 1999 Big 12 Coach of the Year, for the second consecutive year, has led the Lady Raiders to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 10 consecutive, and five NCAA Sweet 16 appearances and the NCAA National Championship in 1993. While in the SWC, coach Sharp and the Lady Raiders never finished below third, they won or shared the last five championships, and they captured three Post-Season Classic titles. Sharp claimed her 400th career victory last season in the 83-71 win at Colorado on Feb. 24, 1999.

A 1974 graduate of Wayland Baptist University, Sharp was named the National Coach of the Year in 1993 and 1994. She also reaped SWC Coach of the Year honors seven times, five consecutively.

Seeing Double

Senior Keitha Dickerson and freshman Plenette Pierson had Tech?s first double-doubles of the season against Rice Nov. 23. Dickerson scored 16 points and grabbed 15 boards, while Pierson finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds - both were career highs for Pierson.

O?Neal Has Career Performance

Junior Katrisa O?Neal had a career performance in the Lady Raiders? triumph over Rice Nov. 23. O?Neal scored a career-high 17 points. Also in the game, she dished out four assists, grabbed four rebounds and had three steals.

Double Digits

In the Lady Raiders victory over Rice Nov. 23, Tech had four players score in double figures. Junior Katrisa O?Neal led all Lady Raiders with 17 points followed by senior Keitha Dickerson with 16, senior Aleah Johnson with 15 and freshman Plenette Pierson with 14.

Johnson Has Career High

Senior Aleah Johnson scored a career-high 16 points in the victory over LSU Nov. 20 in the Four in the Fall Classic.

Pierson Makes Debut

Freshman Plenette Pierson made her collegiate debut as a Lady Raider in a memorable way against LSU Nov. 20. The Kingwood, Texas native scored 12 points and grabbed a team-high nine boards in 32 minutes of action. She went 3-for-9 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free throw line.

Schmucker-Pharies Goes the Distance

Senior Melinda Schmucker-Pharies played all 40 minutes in the Lady Raiders victory over LSU Nov. 20. Schmucker-Pharies finished the game with a team-high five assists and tied junior Katrisa O?Neal with four steals each.

Home Court Streak

The Lady Raiders currently hold a 16-home game winning streak after defeating No. 14 Louisiana State last weekend. Tech?s streak ranks them fourth among NCAA Division I home-court winning streaks. Grambling currently has the number one streak at 56 games.

Sellout Crowd

Texas Tech?s first game of the year and the first in the United Spirit Arena against LSU Nov. 20 was a sellout crowd of 15,050. It marked the second largest crowd for a Big 12 women?s basketball game. The largest crowd was 15, 303 when Texas hosted Louisiana Tech on March 27, 1987.

A Look Ahead

The Lady Raiders will return to action Nov. 29 as they travel to Southern California for a 9 p.m. CST game. Tech will start-off December with two-straight home games on Dec. 4 vs. SMU and Dec. 5 against the USA National team. Both games are scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

Cudnoski Tears ACL

Redshirt freshman Alison Cudnoski has again tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her right knee for the second time in a little over a year. Cudnoski and her doctors, coaches and family are currently weighing her options. Cudnoski sat out last season after tearing the ACL in the same knee in the first practice of the year.

Lady Raiders in the Polls

Since January 20, 1992, the Lady Raiders have been ranked in the Top 25 in the Associated Press poll and/or the USA Today poll, a total of 138 weeks. That includes this week?s ranking of 17th in both polls.

It?s Finally Here - the United Spirit Arena

It started in ?The Barn.? Then came ?The Bubble.? Now as Texas Tech athletics ushers in a new millennium, it is on the move again.

No matter what moniker is chosen for the new arena, two words will certainly be used to describe it: World Class.

The United Spirit Arena, a modern state of the art facility with seating capacity of 15,050, welcomes Texas Tech athletics this weekend. The arena is the home of Lady Raider and Red Raider basketball along with Texas Tech volleyball.

?We have waited a long time for this special building. There is no question of what this means for our program. I?m excited for our students, players and fans. We have the best on-campus facility in America.? ~ Head coach Marsha Sharp

Follow the Lady Raiders on the Radio

All Lady Raider basketball games can be heard live on the All Sports Radio Network on KFYO-AM 790 and KKCL-FM 98.1 locally. Listen to play-by-play by Ryan Hyatt, with color commentary by Crystal Boles and Kent Best as they go to the court with the Lady Raiders. Other affiliates carrying Lady Raider Basketball are:

KPUR-AM 1440 - Amarillo    KVRP-FM 95.5 - HaskellKPET-AM 690  - Lamesa      KZZN-AM 1490 - LittlefieldKFYO-AM 790  - Lubbock     KKCL-FM 98.1 - LubbockKMND-AM 1510 - Midland     KKYN-AM 1090 - PlaineviewKEYE-AM 1400 - Perryton    KEYE-FM 99.5 - Perryton

1999-2000 LADY RAIDER BASKETBALL MISCELLANEOUS STATISTICS

Starting Lineups
1) Johnson, Dickerson, Pierson, Schmucker-Pharies, O?Neal: 2-0

Double-Figure Scoring Games: Johnson 2, O?Neal 2, Pierson 2, Dickerson 1

Double-Figure Rebounding Games: Dickerson 1, Pierson 1

Games Leading Tech in Scoring: Johnson 1, O?Neal 1

Games Leading Tech in Rebounding: Dickerson 1, Pierson 1

Games Leading Tech in Assists: Schmucker-Pharies 2, O?Neal 1, Tarr 1

TECH FREE THROW SHOOTING IN FINAL 2 MINUTES

Player             FT-FTA    PCT.Pierson             2-2     1.000Dickerson           1-1      .500O?Neal              1-2      .500Schmucker-Pharies   0-1      .000         TECH TOTALS:        4-6      .667

TECH RECORD WHEN	Overall	Home	Away
Ahead at halftime:	2-0	2-0	0-0
Behind at halftime:	0-0	0-0	0-0
Tied at halftime:	0-0	0-0	0-0
Bench outscores opponents:	1-0	1-0	0-0
Shooting 50 percent or better:	0-0	0-0	0-0
Shooting under 50 percent:	2-0	2-0	0-0
Outshooting opponents:	1-0	1-0	0-0
Outrebounding opponents:	2-0	2-0	0-0
Outrebounded by opponents:	0-0	0-0	0-0
Fewer turnovers than opponents:	2-0	2-0	0-0
More turnovers than opponents:	0-0	0-0	0-0
Overtime:	0-0	0-0	0-0
Longest winning streak:	2	Sundays: 0-0	Wednesdays: 0-0
Longest losing streak:	-	Mondays: 0-0	Thursdays: 0-0
Current streak:	2 wins	Tuesdays: 1-0	Fridays: 0-0 Saturdays: 1-0

Big 12 Preseason Polls

Coaches Poll

      School (First-place votes)   Total 1.   Iowa State (11)               121 2.   Kansas                        102 3.   Nebraska                       92 4.   Texas (1)                      90 5.   Texas Tech                     83 6.   Oklahoma                       74 7.   Kansas State                   59 8.   Colorado                       54 9.   Missouri                       4910.   Oklahoma State                 3111.   Baylor                         1912.   Texas A&M                      18

Media Poll

 1.   Iowa State (12)               198 2.   Kansas (2)                    171 3.   Nebraska                      162 4.   Texas (1)                     155 5.   Texas Tech (2)                153 6.   Oklahoma                      107 7.   Kansas State                   94 8.   Colorado                       85 9.   Missouri                       5810.   Baylor                         6511.   Oklahoma State                 5212.   Texas A&M                      26

Poll Position

The Texas Tech Lady Raiders moved up to 17th in both the Associated Press and the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 polls this week.

National Attendance Leaders

Once again, the Lady Raiders were one of the top teams in the nation in attendance figures last year. In 1998-99, Tech averaged 8,051 fans in 14 games at the Coliseum, which set a single-season record.

	School	Games	Total	Average
1.	Tennessee	14	231,915	16,565
2.	Connecticut	15	162,939	10,863
3.	Purdue	13	125,857	9,681
4.	Texas Tech	14	112,716	8.051
5.	SW Missouri St.	15	114,192	7,613
6.	Ohio State	13	98,639	7,588
7.	Wisconsin	18	136,182	7,566
8.	New Mexico	18	134,452	7,470
9.	Illinois	11	81,473	7,407
10.	Texas	15	100,674	6,712

1999-00 Double-Doubles
Keitha Dickerson - 16 points, 15 rebounds vs. Rice, Nov. 23
Plenette Pierson - 14 points, 10 rebounds vs. Rice, Nov. 23

Coaches vs. Cancer

Head coach Marsha Sharp is teaming up with the American Cancer Society as she is taking part in the Coaches vs. Cancer program. Last season, Sharp and the Lady Raiders raised $33,938.75, ranking 15th among the collegiate basketball coaches involved with the program.

Weekly Press Luncheon

Each Monday Marsha Sharp will conduct a weekly press luncheon in press conference room at the United Spirit Arena. Coach Sharp?s press conference will begin promptly at 11 a.m. followed by coach James Dickey?s at 11:30 a.m. Lunch will follow in the Athletic Dining Hall.

Lady Raider Firsts in the United Spirit Arena

? Points - Aleah Johnson, on a 15-foot baseling jumper with 19:23 to play in the first half.

? Field Goal - Aleah Johnson

? 3-pointer - Amber Tarr, with 10:57 to play in the game.

? 3-point Play - Katrisa O?Neal, who hit a six-footer along the baseline and added the free throw with 5:08 to play in the first period.

? Free Throw - Plenette Pierson, with 17:08 to go in the first half.

? Steal - Keitha Dickerson, with 17:46 to play in the first half.

? Assist - Keitha Dickerson, with 17:46 to go in the first period.

? Rebound - Katrisa O?Neal, with17:35 remaining in the first half.

? Blocked Shot - Aleah Johnson, with 13:48 left in the game.

Pronounciations

Tanisha Ellison - TAH-nish-ah
Aleah Johnson - ah-LEE-ah
Katrisa O?Neal - ka-TREE-sa
Melinda Schmucker-Pharies - SCHMICK-er - FAIR-us

Lady Raiders By Height

	5-5	Courtney Pastner
	5-6	Katrisa O?Neal
	5-9	Melinda Schmucker-Pharies
	5-10	Kristi Washington
	6-0	Keitha Dickerson
		Nikki Hendrix
		Amber Tarr
	6-1	Tanisha Ellison
		Aleah Johnson
		Plenette Pierson
	6-1	Alison Cudnoski
	6-7	Jamie Nagle

Texas Tech University Athletics