Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Host Southern Mississippi Sunday
December 14, 2001 | Women's Basketball
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Dec. 14, 2001
#12/14 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (4-2)
vs. Southern Mississippi Lady Eagles (4-4)
December 16, 2001 * Lubbock, Texas * 2:15 p.m.
United Spirit Arena (15,050)
Sunday's Game
No. 12/14 Texas Tech (4-2) will take on Southern Miss (4-4) Sunday, Dec. 16 with tip-off at 2:15 p.m. at the United Spirit Arena. It is the second meeting between the two schools.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 4-2 on the year after beating Rice, 74-43, Dec. 5. The Lady Raiders are led in scoring by sophomore Natalie Ritchie at 13.8 points a game and sophomore Jia Perkins at 13.5. Senior Amber Tarr is averaging 5.6 points. Sophomore Dionne Brown is averaging 6.3 rebounds, while Perkins is grabbing 6.2 boards per outing. Perkins also has team highs of 25 assists and 16 steals. Freshman Cisti Greenwalt is the top shot blocker with 12 blocks followed by sophomore Jolee Ayers with eight. Senior Tanisha Ellison is shooting 58.3 percent from the field and Brown is shooting 50 percent. Ritchie is shooting 47.2 percent from three-point range. On the year, the Lady Raiders are shooting 39.5 percent from the field, 34.1 percent from the three-point arc and 59 percent from the free throw line.
Scouting the Opponent
Southern Miss enters the game with a 4-4 record after losing at Grambling State, 61-43, Dec. 9. In that game, senior Victoria Mason led the Lady Eagles with 11 points followed by sophomore Tierra Lassiter with eight. Junior Sonja Brown had team highs of eight rebounds and four blocks.
On the year, Mason leads Southern Miss in scoring with a 12.3 average followed by junior La'Tasha Sumerall at 9.8. Brown is the top rebounder, grabbing 8.0 boards per outing. Sophomore Lana Lewis has a team-high 16 assists, while Sumerall leads the team in steals with 12. Brown is the top shot blocker with 31 blocks. The Lady Eagles are shooting 36.5 percent from the field, 21.1 percent from three-point range and 67 percent from the free throw line.
Rick Reeves is in his third year at the helm of the Lady Eagles, establishing a record of 33-33. He is also in his 16th year as a head coach with a career record of 228-195.
Series Record
Southern Miss leads the all-time series 1-0 after winning its first meeting against Texas Tech, 79-76, Dec. 16, 1995 at the Oakland Tribune Classic.
A Look Ahead
Texas Tech will head east 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 second 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 463-143 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) - Natalie Ritchie scored 20 points - 15 on 3-pointers - as No. 14 Texas Tech beat previously unbeaten Rice 74-43 on Dec. 5.
The Lady Raiders held the Lady Owls without a field goal in an 11-minute stretch and forced 28 turnovers.
Dionne Brown added 14 points and 10 rebounds for Texas Tech, and Cisti Greenwalt had 13 points and 16 rebounds.
Rice, coming off a victory over then-No. 22 George Washington on Dec. 1, shot only 20 percent from the field.
Kara Liggett led the Lady Owls with 10 points.
NCAA Stats
As of games through Dec. 10, sophomore Natalie Ritchie ranks 29th in three-point field goal percentage at 47.22 percent, among all NCAA Division I players. Ritchie also ranks 36th in free throw percentage at 90 percent and 40th in three-point field goals made per game at 2.83. As a team, Texas Tech ranks 38th in field goal percentage defense at 36.49.
Double Vision
Sophomore Dionne Brown and freshman Cisti Greenwalt each had her first double-double of the season against Rice. Brown had a season-high 14 points and tied her career-high 10 rebounds, while Greenwalt had career highs of 13 points and 16 rebounds.
Shooting Star
Sophomore Natalie Ritchie tied her career high of five three-pointers against Rice. Ritchie had 20 points in the game for her second game of 20-plus points this year.
Everybody Plays
In Texas Tech's 74-43 victory over Rice, all 12 players saw action led by sophomore Natalie Ritchie's 28 minutes. Sophomore Dionne Brown and freshman Cisti Greenwalt each recorded 24 minutes of play, while Perkins added 23 minutes.
