Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Open 2004-05 Season With Rice
November 20, 2004 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 20, 2004
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#11/12 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (0-0)
vs.
Rice Lady Owls (2-1)
November 22, 2004 • Lubbock, Texas • 7 p.m.
United Spirit Arena (15,050)
The Game
Texas Tech opens the 2004-05 season by hosting Rice on Mon., Nov. 22, at 7 p.m. in the United Spirit Arena. It marks the first game for the Lady Raiders and the fourth for Rice, who played two games in the Preseason WNIT and at Stephen F. Austin last Friday. The game can be heard on the All Sports Radio Network as Ryan Hyatt (play-by-play) and Crystal Boles (color analyst) call the game.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech returns six letterwinners while welcoming four newcomers and two redshirt freshmen to the 2004-05 roster. The Lady Raiders return their top scorer from last year in sophomore Alesha Robertson who averaged 12.4 points a game as a freshman. A 2004 second team All-Big 12 selection Erin Grant returns for her junior year after posting an 8.3 scoring average and 6.5 assists per game. Grant currently stands in fourth on Tech's career assists list with 443 and is on pace to break the school record of 603 assists. The Lady Raiders have just one senior this year in center Cisti Greenwalt. Greenwalt returns after missing the final seven games in 2003-04 after suffering a broken ankle at Missouri Feb. 17. Last season Greenwalt became the school's career leader in blocked shots with 195. Along with Grant and Greenwalt, juniors Chesley Dabbs and LaToya Davis will be looked upon for leadership. Dabbs started 14 games last year, including 11 of 16 Big 12 contests. Sophomore Brooke Baughman will continue to contribute in the backcourt. Redshirt freshmen Tawanna Flowers and Enrica Johnson are back after sitting out last year with injuries. Putting on a Texas Tech uniform for the first time are sophomore Patrice Edwards and freshmen Darrice Griffin, Erin Myrick and Judith Smith. Edwards, a 6-6 center from Trinidad-Tobago, West Indies, was tabbed the Big 12's preseason Co-Newcomer of the Year by the league coaches.
Scouting the Opponent
Rice enters the game with a 2-1 record after winning its first round game of the Preseason WNIT, 62-43, over McNeese State in Houston Nov. 12. The Lady Owls then fell at No. 24 Arizona, 68-43, Nov. 14. Rice won at Stephen F. Austin, 75-62, last Friday. On the year, sophomore Krystal Frazier paces the Lady Owls in scoring with a 13.3 average followed by sophomore Lauren Neaves at 12.3. Senior Michelle Woods is the top rebounder grabbing 11.3 boards per outing. Senior Eshombi Singleton has team highs of nine assists and six steals. Neaves is the top shot blocker with five blocks. Rice is shooting 34 percent from the field, 16.3 percent from three-point range and 61.4 percent from the free throw line. Head Coach Cristy McKinney is in her 12th season at the helm of the Lady Owls establishing a record of 194-131. She is also in her 14th year as a head coach with a career record of 221-159.
Series Record
Texas Tech is 32-3 versus Rice as the series dates back to the 1981-82 season. Tech has won the last 21 meetings, including the last contest between the two teams on Dec. 30, 2002 when the Lady Raiders beat the Lady Owls, 70-66, in Houston. The last time in Lubbock Tech was victorious, 74-43, Dec. 5, 2001. Rice's last win came on Jan. 7, 1989, in an 83-65 triumph in Houston.
Season Openers
Texas Tech is 19-10 in season openers and 15-7 under head coach Marsha Sharp. Last year, Tech defeated Texas-San Antonio, 76-48, in the first round of the Preseason WNIT in Lubbock.
Home Openers
Texas Tech owns a 27-2 mark in home openers and a 21-1 record under head coach Marsha Sharp. The Lady Raiders' only home-opening loss in the Sharp era was a 67-64 defeat to Grambling State Dec. 1, 1989. Tech handed Texas-San Antonio a 76-48 defeat in the first round of the Preseason WNIT.
Last Time Out
Texas Tech played is final exhibition game of the season and handed Everyone's Internet a 68-47 loss. In the win, senior Cisti Greenwalt once again led the Lady Raiders with team highs of 19 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Greenwalt shot 72.7 percent from the field as she connected on 8-of-11 shots. Junior LaToya Davis chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds and freshman Darrice Griffin added 10 points. Junior point guard Erin Grant dished out 10 assists. Freshman Judith Smith played 27 quality minutes and scored nine points for Tech.
A Look Ahead
Texas Tech will head west to the state of California to take on Stanford in Santa Clara on Sun., Nov. 28 at 2 p.m. CST on FSN. The Lady Raiders will return to Lubbock for four-straight games: Arkansas Little-Rock (Dec. 2, 7 p.m.), Miami (Dec. 6, 7 p.m.), Oral Roberts (Dec. 9, 7 p.m.) and Mississippi (Dec. 12, 1 p.m.). First Time for Everything For the first time in school history, Texas Tech welcomes its first international player and first California natives to its roster. Sophomore Patrice Edwards hails from Trinidad-Tobago, West Indies, while freshman Erin Myrick is from Duarte, Calif., and freshman Judith Smith comes from Long Beach, Calif.
Naismith Candidates
Junior Erin Grant and sophomore Alesha Robertson were selected preseason candidates for the Naismith Trophy. Grant, a native of Arlington, Texas, was a second team All-Big 12 selection in 2004 after averaging 8.3 points and 6.5 assists per game. She currently ranks fourth on Tech's career list for assists with 443 and is on pace to break the school record (603) this season. Plainview, Texas, native Robertson is Tech's top returning scorer from last year as she averaged 12.4 points per contest. Robertson was honorable mention All-Big 12 last season.
Preseason Honors
Sophomore transfer Patrice Edwards was named the preseason Co-Big 12 Newcomer of the Year by the league coaches, while junior Erin Grant and sophomore Alesha Robertson were named preseason honorable mention All-Big 12. Robertson was named preseason second team All-America by Women's Basketball News Service, Grant was named to the third team. Grant was also selected preseason honorable mention by Street & Smith's.
Grant Among the Best at Her Position
Junior Erin Grant was selected as one of the top five point guards in the country by ESPN.com. Joining Grant on the list were Jamie Carey (Texas), Dionnah Jackson (Oklahoma), Temeka Johnson (LSU) and Cappie Pondexter (Rutgers).
The Lone One
Cisti Greenwalt is the lone senior on this year's squad and is ready to take the court after a long nine months. The 6-5 center from Clovis, N.M., suffered a fractured right ankle in February, was diagnosed with melanoma in June, underwent preventative chemotherapy in July and was in a rollover accident in August. Despite all the trauma, Greenwalt has recovered and is looking to make an impact in her final season.
Record Lists
Junior Erin Grant is on pace to become Texas Tech's career leader in assists. The Arlington, Texas, native enters 2004-05 ranked fourth with 443 assists. The school record of 603 assists is held by Melinda Schmucker-Pharies (1996-00). Senior Cisti Greenwalt captured the school record for career blocks last season and holds the record with 195.
Winning Percentage By Class
The senior class, which consists of just one player - Cisti Greenwalt is 74-26 (.740) and 31-17 (.646) in the Big 12. The juniors post a 54-14 (.794) mark and 23-9 (.719) in the conference.
On the Tube
Texas Tech will have 16 regular-season games televised this season. Those airing on FSN include: vs. Stanford Nov. 28, at Oklahoma State Jan. 8, Kansas State Jan. 26, at Texas A&M Jan. 30 and at Baylor March 3. Tech will play at Colorado Jan. 15 and it will be televised on FSN Rocky Mountain and FSN Southwest. The Lady Raiders will face Texas in Austin on Feb. 13 on ESPN2. The Texas Tech Television Network will broadcast Arkansas-Little Rock Dec. 2, Oral Roberts Dec. 9, Sacramento State Dec. 28, Oklahoma Jan. 5, Texas Jan. 12, Missouri Jan. 26, Iowa State Feb. 8, Texas A&M Feb. 19 and Oklahoma State Feb. 26. 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 233 weeks. That includes the Nov. 15 polls in which Tech is ranked 11th in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Coaches poll and 12th in the Associated Press top 25 poll.
Follow the Lady Raiders
All Lady Raider basketball games can be heard live on the All Sports Radio Network on KFYO-AM 790 and KKCL-FM 98.1 locally. Listen to play-by-play by Ryan Hyatt as he takes the court with the Lady Raiders. The following radio stations will air the Lady Raider basketball games this season:
Amarillo - KIXZ-AM (940)
Haskell - KVRP-FM (97.1)
Hereford - KPAN-AM/FM (860/106.3)
Lamesa - KPET-AM (690)
Lubbock - KFYO-AM/KKCL-FM (790/98.1)
Midland - KMMD/KRIL-AM (1510/1410)
Plainview - KVOP-AM (1090)
The Marsha Sharp Radio Show
The Marsha Sharp Radio Show will be held each Monday starting Jan. 3 from 6-7 p.m. at the United Spirit Arena in the southend meeting rooms. The show will air on KFYO-AM 790 and KKCL-FM 98.1 locally.
Lady Raider Basketball with Marsha Sharp
Marsha Sharp's weekly television show, Lady Raider Basketball with Marsha Sharp, will be televised every Sunday. The show will air on Fox 34 at 10 p.m. and move to 9:30 p.m. after the football season. The show will also be shown on UPN at 11 p.m. and at 10:30 p.m. after the football season.
