Texas Tech University Athletics
No. 12/12 Texas Tech Prepares For Penn State
December 20, 2004 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 20, 2004
Complete Release in PDF Format
The Game
No. 12/12 Texas Tech hosts Penn State at 7 p.m. at the United Spirit Arena. There is no television coverage for this game. 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 is 6-2 on the year after beating Arkansas State, 87-53, and falling to Virginia Tech, 71-70 OT, at the Las Vegas Duel in the Desert last weekend. On the year, sophomore Alesha Robertson leads the Lady Raiders in scoring with a 17.7 average followed by senior Cisti Greenwalt at 12.6, junior Chesley Dabbs at 12.4 and junior LaToya Davis at 10.5. Davis is shooting 64.3 percent from the field, while Robertson is shooting 48.8 percent from three-point range and 94.6 percent from the free throw line. Greenwalt is the top rebounder, grabbing 10.9 boards per outing. Junior Erin Grant has team highs of 46 assists and 15 steals. Greenwalt is the top shot blocker with 35 blocks. Texas Tech is shooting 46 percent from the field, 42.5 percent from the three-point line and 71.2 percent from the charity stripe.
Scouting the Opponent
Penn State enters the game with a 5-4 record after beating Old Dominion, 76- 78, last Sunday. In that game, senior Tanisha Wright scored a game-high 23 points and senior Jess Strom added 20. Sophomore Amanda Brown chipped in 11 points. Senior Ashli Schwab led the team in rebounds with seven, while Strom and Wright both had five steals. Strom tallied a game-high five assists. On the year, Wright paces the Lady Lions in scoring with a 22.2 average followed by Strom at 12.9 and sophomore Jennifer Harris 11.2. Schwab is the top rebounder, averaging 6.6 boards per contest. Strom has a team-high 56 assists and Wright leads the team in steals with 25. Brown is the top shot blocker with 12 blocks. Penn State is shooting 42.8 percent from the field, 30.5 percent from the three-point arc and 77.7 percent from the free throw line.
Rene Portland is in her 25th year at the helm of the Lady Lions establishing a record of 567-197. She is also in her 29th year as a head coach with a career record of 654-226.
Series Record
It is the third meeting between Texas Tech and Penn State with the series tied 1-1. The Lady Lions won the first game, 85-80, Dec. 19, 1987, in University Park, Pa. The Lady Raiders won the last contest, 79-71, Nov. 24, 2000, in the first round of the Paradise Jam Tournament in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
A Win Against Penn State Would...
- give Tech a 7-2 record
- give Tech a 2-1 mark against Penn State
- give head coach Marsha Sharp her 540th career win
Last Time Out
Texas Tech fell to Virginia Tech, 71-70, in overtime in the championship game of the Las Vegas Duel in the Desert. The Lady Raiders fell to 6-2 on the year, while the Hokies went to 7-2 on the year.
Junior LaToya Davis scored a game-high 23 points for Texas Tech. Senior Cisti Greenwalt and junior Chesley Dabbs each scored 14 points, while sophomore Alesha Robertson added 11. Greenwalt also collected 12 rebounds for her second-straight double-double. Greenwalt also set a new Cox Pavilion record with seven blocks. The Lady Raiders shot 37.5 percent from the field, hitting 24-of-64 shot attempts. The Hokies shot 36.1 percent (26-of-72). Carrie Mason led the way for the Hokies with 12 points.
A Look Ahead
Texas Tech will conclude non-conference play with home games against Sacramento State (Dec. 28, 7 p.m.) and Idaho State (Jan. 2, 2 p.m.). The Lady Raiders will tip-off Big 12 play on Jan. 5 by hosting Oklahoma at 7 p.m. Tech will face Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla., Jan. 8 at 4 p.m. on FSN before hosting Texas Jan. 12 at 7 p.m.
NCAA Stats
As of games through Dec. 13, Texas Tech ranks first in field goal percentage defense at 27.3, first in blocked shots per game at 9.8, second in scoring defense at 46.3, third in scoring margin at 31.5, fourth in three-point field goal percentage at 47.3, sixth in assists per game at 19.5, 11th in scoring offense at 77.8, 13th in turnovers per game at 13.3, 15th in personal fouls per game at 13.7 and 26th in field goal percentage at 46.4, among all NCAA Division I teams. Senior Cisti Greenwalt ranks fourth in blocked shots per game at 4.2 and 17th in rebounds per game at 10.5; junior Erin Grant ranks eighth in assists per game at 7.0; and sophomore Alesha Robertson ranks 12th in three-point field goal percentage at 53.1, 15th in free throw percentage at 92.6 and 15th in three-point field goals made per game at 2.8, among all NCAA Division I players.
More Double-Doubles
Senior Cisti Greenwalt recorded her fifth and sixth double-doubles of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds against Arkansas State and 14 points and 12 rebounds against Virginia Tech in the Las Vegas Duel in the Desert. She now has 16 double-doubles in her career and the six registered this season rank first in the Big 12. Greenwalt also had double-doubles against Rice (19 pt., 15 rb.), Arkansas-Little Rock (14 pt., 10 rb.), Miami (20 pt., 10 rb.) and Oral Roberts (18 pt., 14 rb.). Against Oral Roberts, she also swatted a season-high seven blocks.
Tournament Honors
Senior Cisti Greenwalt was named the MVP of the Las Vegas Duel in the Desert tournament, while teammates junior Chesley Dabbs and sophomore Alesha Robertson were named to the all-tournament team.
Block Buster
Senior Cisti Greenwalt tied her season-high seven blocks against Virginia Tech. It also marked a Cox Pavilion (Las Vegas, Nev.) record.
Davis Scores Season High
Junior LaToya Davis poured in a season-high 23 points against Virginia Tech, just one point shy of her career-high 24 points.
Back-to-Back 50 Percent or Better, Again
Texas Tech shot back-to-back games of 50 percent or better from the field for the first time this year against Arkansas-Little Rock and Miami and then again versus Ole Miss and Arkansas State. Tech shot 50 percent against UALR and 55.1 percent versus Miami. Against Ole Miss, Tech hit 51.5 percent of its shots, while connecting on 52.5 percent versus Arkansas State.
Smith With Another Double-Digit Game
Freshman Judith Smith had her second-consecutive game of scoring in double figures. She put on a career-high 13 points against Ole Miss and then followed it up with 12 points against Arkansas State.
Big 12 Player of the Week
Sophomore Alesha Robertson was named the Big 12 Player of the Week Dec. 13, for her performances Dec. 6-12. During that time she set the school record for most three-point baskets made in a game when she hit nine en route to scoring a career-high 37 points against Miami Dec. 6. For the week, she averaged 22.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, while shooting 44.2 percent from the field, 57.7 percent from the three-point arc and 93.8 percent from the free throw line.
Dabbs Pours in Career High
Junior Chesley Dabbs scored a career-high 21 points against Ole Miss, while junior LaToya Davis had her first double-double of the year with 12 points and a season-high 11 rebounds against the Lady Rebels.
Freshmen Putting Up Career Numbers
Freshman Judith Smith came off the bench to register a career-high 13 points in Tech's win over Ole Miss. Fellow freshman Erin Myrick tallied career highs of six rebounds, four blocks and three assists, while freshman Darrice Griffin tied her career highs of eight points and two blocks versus the Lady Rebels.
Tech Holds Ole Miss to Record-Low Shooting Percentage
Texas Tech held Ole Miss to just 16.2 percent from the field which set a new school record for lowest field goal percentage by an opponent. The previous low was 16.9 percent by SMU last year.
Double Duty for Davis
Junior LaToya Davis registered her first double-double of the season with 12 points and a season-high 11 rebounds against Ole Miss. It was the sixth double-double of her career.
Robertson Putting Up Points
Sophomore Alesha Robertson has scored in double figures in seven of eight games this year. The only game she has not had double digits was at Stanford, where she only scored six.
Grant Up to Third
Junior Erin Grant now stands third on Tech's all-time assists list. Grant enters today's game with 488 assists. Krista Kirkland-Gerlich (1989-93) is second with 553 and holding the record is Melinda Schmucker-Pharies at 603.
Most Points in Over 10 Years
Texas Tech's 109-49 victory over Miami was the first time Tech had scored that many points in over 10 years. The Lady Raiders beat Texas A&M, 109-75, March 5, 1994, in Lubbock. It marks the most points Tech has scored since becoming a member of the Big 12 Conference. The most points ever scored in school history was 125 vs. Central State Oklahoma, Jan. 18, 1980.
School Record 3s
Sophomore Alesha Robertson set the school record for most three-point shots made in a game with nine against Miami. The previous record was eight set last season by Natalie Ritchie against Oklahoma State. Robertson was 9-for- 12 from three-point range.
Big 12 Career Block Leader
Senior Cisti Greenwalt is now the Big 12 Conference's all-time leader in blocked shots with 230. She passed Britt Hartshorn of Colorado (1999-02), who had 208, as the league's career leader in blocks. Greenwalt set the Texas Tech school record last season.
Career High Points for Robertson
Sophomore Alesha Robertson scored a career-high 37 points against Miami Dec. 6. Robertson's previous career high was 27 at Oklahoma State last season.
Doing Dishes
Junior Erin Grant recorded her first double-digit assist game of the year as she dished out 12 assists versus Miami. It marked the 12th game of her career to register 10 or more assists.
100-Point Game
Texas Tech scored 109 points in its victory over Miami Dec. 6. Last season, Tech scored at least 100 points on two occasions: 100 vs. Pacific Dec. 8, 2003 and 106 vs. Oklahoma State Jan. 10, 2004. The 2003-04 season was the first time Tech had scored 100-plus points more than once in the same season since 1994-95. The 109 points versus Miami marks the 11th season Tech has accomplished the feat of scoring 100 or more points in a game. During 1992-93, Tech scored 100 or more points on six occasions, which is the most of any Lady Raider season.
Large Margin of Victory
Texas Tech got a 60-point victory over Miami in a 109-49 triumph. It marked the biggest win since the Lady Raiders beat Oklahoma State, 106-43, last January. It was also the most points Tech has scored since scoring 109 against Texas A&M March 5, 1994.
Double Vision
Sophomore Alesha Robertson had her second career double-double with 18 points and a career-high 11 boards.
First Career Start
Sophomore Brooke Baughman got her first start of her career against the Lady Owls. Baughman replaced junior Erin Grant, who was nursing a slightly injured right foot, at the point guard position. Baughman, a native of Canyon, Texas, had career highs of 10 points and six rebounds, while tying her career high of seven assists.
Forty and Close to It
Sophomore Brooke Baughman not only got her first career start against Rice but she played the whole 40 minutes of the ball game. Sophomore Alesha Robertson played 39 and 40 minutes against Rice and Stanford, respectively, while junior Chesley Dabbs got 40 minutes of action at Stanford.
Griffin's Debut
Freshman Darrice Griffin scored seven points, grabbed nine rebounds and added four steals, three assists and two blocks in her debut as a Lady Raider. The Seagraves, Texas, native played 35 minutes against Rice. She also scored seven at Stanford.
Grant Returns
After sitting out the season opener against Rice, junior point guard Erin Grant came back on fire as she scored 18 points and dished out six assists, while adding four steals at Stanford.
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 third on Tech's career list for assists with 488 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 ranks third with 488 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 230.
Winning Percentage By Class
The senior class, which consists of just one player - Cisti Greenwalt is 80-28 (.741) and 31-17 (.646) in the Big 12. The juniors post a 60-16 (.789) mark and 23-9 (.719) in the conference. The sophomore class is 31-10 (.756) and 10-6 (.625) in the league, while the freshmen are 6-2 (.750).
On the Tube
Texas Tech will have 16 regular-season games televised this season. Those airing on FSN include: vs. Stanford (L, 61- 58), 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 (W, 69-29), Oral Roberts (W, 79-46), 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 238 weeks. That includes the Dec. 20 polls in which Tech is ranked 12th in the Associated Press top 25 poll. Tech was12th in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Coaches poll last week - this week's poll has not been released yet.
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)
2004-05 LADY RAIDER BASKETBALL MISCELLANEOUS STATISTICS
Starting Lineups
1) Davis, Robertson, Greenwalt, Dabbs, Baughman - 1-0
2) Davis, Robertson, Greenwalt, Dabbs, Grant - 5-2
Double-Figure Scoring Games: Robertson 7, Greenwalt 6, Dabbs 4, Davis 4, Grant 2, Smith 2, Baughman 1
Double-Figure Rebounding Games: Greenwalt 6, Davis 1, Robertson 1
Double-Figure Assists Games: Grant 1
Games Leading Tech in Scoring: Greenwalt 3, Robertson 3, Dabbs 1, Davis 1, Grant 1
Games Leading Tech in Rebounding: Greenwalt 7, Dabbs 1, Davis 1
Games Leading Tech in Assists: Grant 6, Baughman 2
