Texas Tech University Athletics
No. 10 Lady Raiders Set To Play Creighton
December 03, 2002 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 3, 2002
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Tonight's Game
No. 10/10 Texas Tech (2-1) will host Creighton (2-1) at 7:15 p.m. at the United Spirit Arena. It is the second meeting between the two schools. The game will be televised on the Texas Tech Television Network with Vinnie Vinzetta and Crystal Boles calling the game. The game can also be heard on the radio as Ryan Hyatt and will be calling the game on the All Sports Radio Network.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 2-1 on the year after defeating Valparaiso, 81-46, on Nov. 27. On the year, junior Jia Perkins leads the team in scoring with a 16.0 average followed by senior Plenette Pierson at 15.3, junior Natalie Ritchie at 11.0 and freshman LaToya Davis at 10.0. Pierson is the top rebounder, grabbing 7.0 boards per outing. Freshman Erin Grant is shooting 69.2 percent from the field and sophomore Cisti Greenwalt is shooting 62.5 percent. Junior Miklannet Tennal is shooting 57.1 percent from three-point range followed by Ritchie at 46.7 percent. Grant has a team high of 30 assists, while Perkins leads the team in steals with seven. Greenwalt is the top shot blocker with eight blocks. The Lady Raiders are shooting 49.5 percent from the field, 46.2 percent from three-point range and 67.6 percent from the free throw line. Scouting the Opponent
Creighton enters the game with a 2-1 record after beating Nebraska, 55-40, last Sunday. In that game, sophomore Laura Spanheimer scored a game-high 14 points. Freshman Angie Janis added nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds, while junior Christy Neneman chipped in nine points, eight rebounds and four assists. Spanheimer tallied a career-high eight steals.
On the year, junior Dayna Finch leads the Bluejays in scoring with a 13.5 average in two games. Finch has suffered a broken hand and will be sidelined for at least three weeks. Neneman is averaging 11.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest. Neneman also has a team-high 10 assists, while Spanheimer leads the team in steals with 18. Senior Teresa Wessling is the top shot blocker with two blocks. Creighton is shooting 36 percent from the field, 29 percent from three-point range and 80.9 percent from the charity stripe.
Jim Flanery is in his first year at the helm of the Bluejays after spending the previous 10 years as an assistant at Creighton. He has established a 2-1 record in his first year as a head coach.
Series Record
Texas Tech holds a 1-0 advantage over Creighton. The Lady Raiders defeated the Bluejays, 75-65, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 19, 1994 in Lubbock.
Last Time Out
(AP) - Jia Perkins scored 18 points, including 10 in the second half, to lead No. 12 Texas Tech to an 81-46 victory over Valparaiso on Wednesday night (Nov. 27).
Tech seized control early, scoring 15 of the game's first 18 points. Junior guard Natalie Ritchie ignited the early scoring flurry by connecting on two 3-point baskets. Perkins capped the spree with a 12-foot jump shot, giving the Lady Raiders a 15-3 lead.
Valparaiso got no closer than 10 points the rest of the game.
The Crusaders had difficulty getting into their offense throughout the game as Tech's pressure defense continually forced Valparaiso into mistakes. The Crusaders had four shot-clock violations in the first half alone as a result of the tight defense.
Tech's Casey Jackson hit consecutive baskets with slightly more than eight minutes remaining in the first half, pushing the lead to 23-9.
After Valparaiso moved within 30-16 with 4:18 left in the first half, Tech went on a 14-4 run for a 44-20 lead at the half.
Tech kept up the onslaught in the second half. Perkins scored eight consecutive points midway through the second half, and Plenette Pierson added a basket and free throw that gave the Lady Raiders a 62-27 lead with 12:03 remaining.
Tech's biggest lead came on a layup by Cisti Greenwalt with just under a minute to play, making it 81-43.
Ritchie scored 11 points. Greenwalt and Casey Jackson each finished with 10.
The Crusaders were led by Suzie Hammel's 11 points.
A Look Ahead
Texas Tech takes to the road for the first time since the season opener with a game against Wyoming Dec. 14 in Casper, Wyo. That game will be a doubleheader with the men's team. Tech hosts Oregon State on Dec. 17. The Lady Raiders head to Hawai'i for games on Dec. 20 against Chattanooga and on Dec. 21 against either Hawai'i or Loyola Marymount. Tech finishes the 2002 year with games at Southern Miss Dec. 28 and at Rice Dec. 30.
Lady Raider Head Coach Marsha Sharp
One of the most respected and well-known coaches in Texas Tech history, head coach Marsha Sharp is 481-154 in her 21st year at the helm of the Lady Raiders. Entering the 2002-03 season, Sharp was the seventh active winningest coach among Division I coaches. She has led the Lady Raiders to 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 13 consecutive, and nine 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.
Sharp was also the head coach of the 2002 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Women Qualifying Team, which won the gold medal in Brazil.
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.
On the Road in December
Texas Tech will play five of its seven games in December on the road. Tech will travel to Wyoming Dec. 14 and play two games in Hawai'i Dec. 20-21 before the Christmas break. The Lady Raiders will then conclude 2002 with games at Southern Miss Dec. 28 and at Rice Dec. 30.
Block Party
Senior Plenette Pierson and sophomore Cisti Greenwalt rank 10th and 11th, respectively on Tech's career blocks list. Pierson has compiled 75 blocks while Greenwalt has swatted 68. Greenwalt moved to 11th after recording five blocks in the last game, surpassing Sheryl Swoopes (1991-93) who had 67 in her career as a Lady Raider.
Perkins Scores Season High
Junior Jia Perkins scored a season-high 18 points against Valparaiso. Perkins also tied her season highs of three rebounds and three steals.
Jackson, Greenwalt Hit Double Digits
Junior Casey Jackson and sophomore Cisti Greenwalt each scored in double digits for the first time this season as each chipped in a season-high 10 points against Valparaiso. Greenwalt also tallied season highs of nine rebounds and five blocks, while Jackson had a season-high three steals.
Dishing Out
Freshman Erin Grant recorded back-to-back games of 10 or more assists. Against Valpo she tallied 10, while getting 14 against Washington. For the year, she has totaled 30 assists for an average of 10 assists per contest.
Grant Named Big 12 Rookie of the Week and Sets Freshman Record
Freshman Erin Grant was named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week Nov. 25 for her performances against Louisiana Tech and Washington. Grant set the freshman record for assists in a game as she dished out 14 against Washington, while committing only two turnovers. She tallied 13 points and six assists against Louisiana Tech. She is averaging 10 assists a game, a team high. She also leads the team in free throw percentage at 87.5. The previous was 10 by Jia Perkins against Southeast Louisiana Dec. 19, 2000 and against USC Dec. 22, 2000.
Another Double-Double for Pierson
Senior Plenette Pierson recorded her first double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds against Washington. It also marked her 16th career double-double.
Ritchie Pours It On
Junior Natalie Ritchie lit it up against Washington as she scored a game-high 20 points, connecting on 7-of-14 shot attempts, including 4-for-10 from three-point range. She was just one point shy of tying her career high of 21 points.
Davis Has Good First Outing
Freshman LaToya Davis came off the bench for the Lady Raiders to chip in 14 points and five rebounds in 15 minutes of action in her first collegiate game against Washington.
Best Shooting Performance
Texas Tech was 38-of-70 from the field for 54.3 percent vs. Washington, its best shooting performance so far this season.
She's Back
Senior Plenette Pierson returned to action for the first time since Nov. 30, 2001 at New Mexico. Against Louisiana Tech, she poured in a game-high 25 points, grabbed a game-high eight rebounds and career-high six blocks.
Pierson Hits 1,000 Mark
Senior Plenette Pierson has now scored 1,024 points in her career at Texas Tech, which ranks 19th all-time. Standing in 18th is Lisa Logsdon (1983-87) with 1,064. Pierson entered the season with 978 points and scored 25 points in Tech's opening game against Louisiana Tech to surpass the 1,000-career mark.
New Kid on the Block
Freshman Erin Grant is making the impact that everyone had hoped. In her first collegiate game, Grant got her first start, while chipping in 13 points, six assists, three rebounds and two steals.
On the Tube
The Lady Raiders will make seven national or regional television appearances in regular-season play this season. Tech will appear on ESPN2 twice and Fox Sports Net five times. Tech lost to Louisiana Tech on ESPN2 on Nov. 10 and will play Iowa State Feb. 9 on ESPN2. The Lady Raiders' games on Fox Sports Net include: Washington (Nov. 24), Oklahoma State (Jan. 18), at Colorado (Jan. 26), Texas (Mar. 2) and Kansas State (Mar. 6).
Tech Preseason Conference Favorites
Texas Tech was picked to win its fourth Big 12 Conference women's basketball title in preseason polls voted on by the league's head coaches and by the media. In the coaches poll, Tech was first with 114 points, including six first-place votes, followed by Kansas State with 113 and Texas with 105. In the media poll, Tech received 192 points and nine first-place votes, while edging Kansas State with 191 points and seven first-place votes. Texas was third with 173 and one first-place vote.
Sharp One of the Elite
Head coach Marsha Sharp's .75753 winning percentage ranks seventh among winningest active coaches. Entering the 2002-03 season, Sharp had a 478-153 career record according to NCAA standards. The NCAA does not include forfeits in the overall record, which is 479-153. Sharp won a game by forfeit during the 1988-89 season against Baylor.
Pierson and Perkins Picked as One of Best at Their Positions
Senior Plenette Pierson and junior Jia Perkins have been nabbed as one of the top five in the country at their respective positions by ESPN.com. Pierson was named one of the top five power forwards along with Oklahoma's Caton Hill, LSU's Aiysha Smith, Mississippi State's LaToya Thomas and Kansas State's Kendra Wecker. Perkins was listed on the top five off-guards list along with Duke's Alana Beard, Penn State's Kelly Mazzante, Connecticut's Diana Taurasi and Minnesota's Lindsay Wilson. Tech was one of five schools (Vanderbilt, Kansas State, LSU and Mississippi State) to have two players listed at the five positions.
Pierson on ESPN.com
Senior Plenette Pierson will be writing a weekly diary for ESPN.com. Pierson will be giving a weekly update about herself and the Lady Raiders throughout the 2002-03 season.
Sharp Selected USA Basketball 2002 Developmental Coach of the Year
Head coach Marsha Sharp was named USA Basketball 2002 Developmental Coach of the Year. USA Basketball's Developmental Coach of the Year award was established in 1996 to recognize a USA Basketball head coach who, during the year of the award, made significant impact on the success of individual athlete and team performance at the developmental level. Sharp was the head coach of the 2002 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Women Qualifying Team that captured the gold medal in Brazil with an unblemished 4-0 record and qualified USA Basketball for the 2003 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Championship For Young Women. Tech's Jia Perkins was a member of the team.
Ritchie Named Female Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year
In July, junior Natalie Ritchie was named the female Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year. Ritchie's commitment to sportsmanship is led by her devotion and kindness. The Amarillo, Texas native averaged 10.6 points in 32 games last season. While assisting the Lady Raiders to their 2002 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance, Ritchie still found time to exercise her generosity and to show genuine concern for others. Ritchie visits local hospitals, churches and other community agencies. She also finds time to meet with fans, encourage students and to give motivational speeches on a variety of topics, in addition to her full schedule as a student-athlete. Ritchie also volunteers at Race for the Cure, Special Olympics and the Ronald McDonald House.
Nagle Sidelined
Senior Jamie Nagle will be sidelined after having lateral meniscus repair done to her right knee. Nagle is expected to sit out until at least December.
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 197 weeks. That includes this week's polls which Tech is ranked 10th in both the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll and the AP poll.
