Texas Tech Takes On New Mexico In Albuquerque
November 28, 2001 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 28, 2001
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Friday's Game
No. 8/9 Texas Tech (2-1) will take on New Mexico (4-1) Friday, Nov. 30 at 8 p.m. CST at The Pitt in Albuquerque, N.M. It is the 10th meeting between the two teams.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 2-1 on the year after beating Oregon, 72-65, last Monday night. The Lady Raiders are led in scoring by junior Plenette Pierson at 16.7 points per game followed by sophomore Natalie Ritchie at 16.0 and sophomore Jia Perkins at 14.7. Pierson is the top rebounder, grabbing nine boards per outing, while Perkins is averaging 7.7 rebounds. Perkins also has team highs of 13 assists and 13 steals. Sophomore Jolee Ayers is the top shot blocker with four blocks. Ritchie has a team-high 48.4 percent from the field and 52.6 percent from three-point range. Pierson is shooting 47.5 percent from the field, while Ayers is at 42.9 percent. On the year, the Lady Raiders are shooting 41.6 percent from the field, 31.6 percent from the three-point arc and 65 percent from the free throw line.
Scouting the Opponent
New Mexico enters the game with a 4-1 record after beating Arizona, 75-67, last Tuesday night. In that game, junior Jordan Adams scored a game-high 21 points followed by freshman Mandi Moore's 15 points. Freshman Lindsey Arndt chipped in 14 points, while freshman Stephanie Shaw added 10. Arndt had a game-high 17 rebounds and Adams grabbed 10 boards on the night. Arndt and Shaw each had four assists, while Arndt tallied three steals. Adams was the top shot blocker with five blocks. On the year, Adams paces the Lobos in scoring with an 18.4 average followed by Moore at 12.8 and junior Chelsea Grear at 12.0. Adams is the top rebounder, averaging 7.2 rebounds. Moore has a team-high 18 assists, while Grear leads the Lobos in steals with 14. Adams has recorded 29 blocks on the year. New Mexico is shooting 45.6 percent from the field, 36.1 percent from three-point range and 80.9 percent from the charity stripe. Don Flanagan is in his seventh year as head coach of the Lobos, establishing a record of 127-64.
Series Record
Texas Tech holds a 9-0 advantage over New Mexico with a 7-0 record in the Marsha Sharp era. In their last meeting, the Lady Raiders were victorious, 80-56, in Lubbock also on Dec. 4.
Last Year vs. the Lobos
Dec. 4, 2000 - (AP) - Plenette Pierson picked up her teammates whey they needed her most. Pierson had 24 points and seven rebounds to lead No. 8 Texas Tech to an 80-56 victory over New Mexico. Tech struggled through the first half and led by just seven points at halftime, 31-24. The Lady Raiders took control of the game with 15:17 left in the second half on a 3-pointer by Candi White. Amber Tarr hit a 3-pointer a few seconds later. Pierson then added another six points and White followed with another 3-pointer. A basket by Jia Perkins put Tech ahead 57-37. Molly McKinnon scored 16 points to lead New Mexico and Jordan Adams added 14. Tarr had 11 points for Tech, and White and Dionne Brown each had 10.
A Look Ahead
Texas Tech will play its home opener Sunday, Dec. 2 against North Texas followed by two more home games against Rice Dec. 5 and Southern Miss Dec. 16. Tech will then hit the road again for games at Saint Peter's College Dec. 19 and Rutgers Dec. 21. The Lady Raiders will conclude 2001 by hosting Vanderbilt in the Triple Crown Classic Dec. 29. Colorado will play LSU in the first game of the classic in Lubbock on Dec. 29.
Lady Raider Head Coach Marsha Sharp
One of the most respected and well-known coaches in Texas Tech history, head coach Marsha Sharp is 461-142 in her 20th year at the helm of the Lady Raiders. Entering the 2001-02 season, Sharp was the seventh active winningest coach among Division I coaches. She has led the Lady Raiders to 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 12 consecutive, and eight NCAA Sweet 16 and three Elite Eight appearances and the NCAA National Championship in 1993. Sharp led the Lady Raiders to three-straight Big 12 Conference regular-season titles (1998-2000) and two tournament crowns (1998, 1999). 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. 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.
Last Time Out
(AP) - Texas Tech knew it would get tested by Oregon's guards, so the Lady Raiders pounded the ball inside and came away with their second straight victory. Plenette Pierson had 22 points and 12 rebounds as No. 9 Texas Tech held off a second-half rally to beat Oregon 72-65 on Monday night. Jia Perkins added 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds, and Natalie Ritchie had 11 points for the Lady Raiders (2-1). Jolee Ayers scored 10 points, including a pair of free throws with 9:31 left that put Texas Tech up for good at 49-48. Shaquala Williams had 18 points and eight rebounds to lead the Ducks (2-3). The Lady Raiders outrebounded the Ducks 48-36 and had 20 offensive boards to offset a 38 percent shooting night from the field. After leading the entire first half, Cathrine Kraayeveld hit a jumper to put the Ducks up 48-47 with just under 10 minutes to play. But that was the last basket the Ducks made until Kraayeveld tipped in a rebound eight minutes later as Texas Tech built a 64-57 lead aided by a 16-4 run. The Ducks shot only 39 percent from the field, and were just 3-of-14 from 3-point range.
Seeing Double
Junior Plenette Pierson and sophomore Jia Perkins each recorded their first double-double of the season at Oregon Nov. 26. Pierson scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Perkins had 10 points and a career-high 11 boards.
Jumpin' Jia
Sophomore Jia Perkins grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds against Oregon Nov. 26. Perkins' previous career high was nine boards against USC last year.
All-Around Game
For the second-straight game junior Plenette Pierson scored a season high. Pierson poured in 22 points at Oregon Nov. 26, the game before against Oregon State, she tallied 18 points. Pierson also added a season-high 12 rebounds and a career-high five assists in 37 minutes of play at Oregon.
Ayers, Jackson Setting Highs
Sophomore Jolee Ayers and Casey Jackson set season highs again against Oregon Nov. 26. Ayers tallied season highs of 10 points and five rebounds, while matching her career high of two blocks in 22 minutes. Jackson set a season-high nine points and tied her career high of two steals in 34 minutes.
Ritchie Scores Career High, Again
Sophomore Natalie Ritchie scored a career-high 21 points in Texas Tech's victory at Oregon State Nov. 24. Ritchie connected on 8-of-16 attempts from the fielding, including a career-high five three-pointers. Ritchie's previous career high was 16 points, which she had in the previous game at Duke Nov. 11.
Another First Start
Sophomore Natalie Ritchie made her first career start against Oregon State Nov. 24. Ritchie and fellow sophomore Casey Jackson have both started for the first time in their careers this season.
Perkins Dishes Out
Sophomore Jia Perkins dished out a season-high seven assists at Oregon State Nov. 24. Perkins also added seven points and four steals in that game.
Perkins Scores at Duke
Sophomore Jia Perkins scored a game-high 27 points, while adding eight rebounds, five steals and four assists in 35 minutes of action in Tech's loss at No. 4/5 Duke Nov. 11. Perkins shot 50 percent from the field as she was 12-of-24. She was also perfect from the free throw line, sinking all three attempts.
Jackson Grabs Career High
Sophomore Casey Jackson recorded a career-high nine rebounds against Duke Nov. 11. Jackson's previous career high was seven, which she had twice last season.
Pierson Matches Career High Assists
Junior Plenette Pierson tied her career high of three assists at Duke Nov. 11. Pierson has recorded three assists on seven occasions.
Brown Sidelined
Sophomore Dionne Brown will sit out for approximately 1-3 more games after injuring her medial collateral ligament in her right knee. Brown suffered the same injury last season and sat out five games before returning to action.
Pierson Preseason Naismith Candidate
Junior Plenette Pierson was one of 30 women's basketball players named as a Preseason Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Candidate announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
Clark Redshirting
Freshman Jametra Clark will redshirt the 2001-02 season for medical purposes pertaining to a previous knee injury.
Home Opener
Texas Tech will not open at home until Dec. 2 against North Texas. The Lady Raiders will open Big 12 Conference play at home with two straight-games in Lubbock - Jan. 2 against Kansas and Jan. 5 against Oklahoma.
Television Games
The Lady Raiders will appear on national and/or regional television seven times this season. Tech first game was against Duke Nov. 11 on ESPN and will play Wisconsin on espn2 on Feb. 17. The Lady Raiders will face Big 12 foes Texas (home and away), at Kansas State, Colorado and at Oklahoma on Fox Sports Net. The rest of Tech's home games will be televised locally and throughout the state of Texas by the Texas Tech Television Network.
Sharp One of the Elite
Head coach Marsha Sharp's .76461 winning percentage ranks her seventh best in the country among Division I active coaches. Entering the 2001-02 Sharp had a 458-141 career record according to NCAA standards. The NCAA does not include forfeits in the overall record, which was 459-141. Sharp won a game by forfeit during the 1988-89 season against Baylor.
Lady Raiders in the Polls
Since January 20, 1992, the Lady Raiders have been ranked in the Top 25 in the Associated Press and/or the USA Today poll a total of 179 weeks. That includes this week's polls of eighth in the USA Today/ESPN poll and ninth by the AP.