Texas Tech Athletics
North Texas
No. 9 Texas Tech Trounces North Texas, 63-53
December 02, 2001 | Women's Basketball
Dec 2, 2001
By BETSY BLANEY
Associated Press Writer
LUBBOCK, Texas - Playing without its leading rebounder and a top scorer didn't faze No. 9 Texas Tech.
After a slow shooting start Sunday, the Lady Raiders responded to beat North Texas 63-53 Sunday in their first game without starting forward Plenette Pierson.
Pierson was suspended indefinitely for undisclosed reasons by coach Marsha Sharp after Tech (3-2) lost to New Mexico on Friday night.
"For the first game playing without a major part of our offense, we really did a good job of finding some ways to score and will continue to work on that, continue to involve people a little bit more and get some more offense from some different people," Sharp said. "But we had some folks that really stepped up and really played well."
One of those was guard Jia Perkins.
"This game I just cut loose and played," said Perkins, who had 26 points and 12 rebounds. "I was just feeling it."
Amber Tarr scored 13 and Dionne Brown added eight for Tech, which started the game 2-for-2 from the field against the Lady Eagles (4-3).
The Lady Raiders went on a 12-4 run with about five minutes left in the first half to take a 40-26 at the break.
North Texas had trouble finding the range, going 18-for-72 from the field. Shannan Stephenson led the lady Eagles with 11 points. Jalie Mitchell, who averages 17 points per game, was held to seven.
"Give Tech credit," Lady Eagles coach Tina Slinker said. "They were playing good defense. But we didn't shoot the ball the way we capable of. It's the worst game of our season. Nothing against Tech, we didn't do what we were capable of."
Pierson, also the second-leading scorer for the Lady Raiders, was at Sunday's game. She declined to comment on the suspension. Asked whether Sharp intends for her to be off the team for the remainder of the season, Pierson said, "We haven't discussed it yet."
Sharp declined to comment on the suspension Sunday. In a statement Saturday she said the suspension "is the best thing at this time for the Lady Raider program."
