Texas Tech Athletics
California
Lady Raiders Get By California 76-69
December 01, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Dec 1, 2003
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - The closer the game, the better Jia Perkins seems to like it. On Monday night, she proved that.
Perkins scored 23 of her 29 points in the second half, leading fifth-ranked Tech to a 76-69 victory over California.
""I love close games," Perkins said. "I just wanted to go out there and do what I could for the team. Luckily, I hit a few shots."
She scored eight of Tech's nine points during a critical second-half run that helped the Lady Raiders (7-0) break open a close game.
"Jia showed she's is a big-time go-to player tonight," Texas Tech coach Marsha Sharp said. "She really made a difference."
Casey Jackson added with 17 points and Natalie Ritchie 14 for the Lady Raiders, playing their third game in four days.
Nihan Anaz and Leigh Gregory had 17 points apiece for California (3-2).
Tech led 52-48 with 9:50 left when Perkins came up with a steal and went the length of the floor for an 8-foot jumper. She added consecutive jumpers on Tech's next two possessions, giving the Lady Raiders a 58-50 lead.
Jackson contributed a free throw before Perkins drove in for a layup that provided Tech with a 61-50 lead with 5:26 left. Following a Cal free throw, Perkins threw a pass to Jackson for a layup that pushed the margin to 63-51.
"We tried three different defenders on her, and finally, we double-teamed her, but it was too late," Cal coach Caren Horstmeyer said. "She is a great player who can take that team on her shoulders and take them where they need to go."
California moved to 67-59 on a three-point play by Gregory with 1:35 left and eventually closed the gap to 74-69 on a pair of free throws by LaTasha O'Keith in the game's final 10 seconds.
Olga Volkova and O'Keith added 10 points apiece for Cal, also playing for the third time in four days.
Cal's pressure defense forced the Lady Raiders into 19 turnovers and kept the game close throughout.
Tech led by as many as eight points in the first half, taking a 30-22 edge on a driving hoop by Erin Grant. Cal, though, took advantage of a lengthy offensive lull by Texas Tech and closed the gap to 34-32 with 1:29 left.
Jametra Clark's 12-footer closed the first-half scoring and gave the Lady Raiders a 36-32 lead at the break.
