Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Set To Take On Oral Roberts Thursday
December 07, 2004 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 7, 2004
Complete Release in PDF Format
#13/13 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (3-1)
vs.
Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (4-1)
December 9, 2004 • Lubbock, Texas • 7 p.m.
Television 4 Texas Tech Television Network
United Spirit Arena (15,050)
The Game
No. 13/13 Texas Tech hosts Oral Roberts at 7 p.m. at the United Spirit Arena. The game is being televised on the Texas Tech Television Network, which airs locally on UPN Lubbock, with Vinnie Vinzetta (play-by-play) and Crystal Boles (color analyst) calling the game. The game can be heard on the All Sports Radio Network with play-by-play by Ryan Hyatt.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 3-1 on the year after crushing Miami (Fla.), 109-49, last Monday. On the year, sophomore Alesha Robertson leads the Lady Raiders in scoring at 18.8 points per game followed by senior Cisti Greenwalt at 14.8. Junior LaToya Davis is shooting 60 percent from the field, while Robertson is shooting 53.5 percent from the field, 61.1 percent from three-point range and 94.7 percent from the free throw line. Greenwalt is the top rebounder, averaging 10.3 boards per contest. Junior Erin Grant has team highs of 22 assists and 10 steals. Greenwalt is the top shot blocker with 17 blocks. Texas Tech is shooting 47.7 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range and 71.2 percent from the charity stripe.
Scouting the Opponent
Oral Roberts enters the game with a 4-1 record after beating Oklahoma State, 65-61, in overtime last Saturday. In that game, sophomore Elisha Turek scored a team-high 21 points, while sophomores Alycia Seay and Katie Langford added 12 and 11, respectively. Turek grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds and junior Leah Cannon had game highs of nine assists and five steals. Seay tallied three blocks.
On the year, Turek paces the Golden Eagles in scoring at 22.8 points per game followed by Cannon at 14.2. Turek is the top rebounder, averaging 11.0 boards per contest. Cannon has a team-high 34 assists, while Langford leads the team in steals with 15. Seay is the top shot blocker with seven blocks. ORU is shooting 44 percent from the field, 38.9 percent from the three-point arc and 69.7 percent from the charity stripe.
Jerry Finkbeiner is in his ninth year at the helm of the Golden Eagles establishing a record of 121-114. He is also in his 16th year as a head coach with a career record of 320-148.
Series Record
It is the 10th meeting between Texas Tech and Oral Roberts with the Lady Raiders having a 6-3 edge over the Golden Eagles. This year's game is the first meeting between the two teams in eight years. In the last game, Tech beat ORU, 74-51, Dec. 5, 1996, in Lubbock. The Lady Raiders have won the last two games and three of the last four. ORU's last victory was a 61-54 triumph in Tulsa, Dec 19, 1985. The series dates back to the 1976-77 season as Tech beat ORU, 66-62, Nov. 27, 1976, at the Flying Queens Classic.
A Win Against ORU Would...
- give Tech a 4-1 record
- give Tech a 7-3 mark against the Golden Eagles
- make Tech 4-0 at home this year
- give head coach Marsha Sharp her 537th career win
Last Time Out
Texas Tech crushed Miami (Fla.), 109-49, last Monday night at the United Spirit Arena. The Lady Raiders improved to 3-1 on the year, while the Hurricanes dropped to 3-5.
It was a day of career highs for sophomore Alesha Robertson as she poured in 37 points and hit a school record nine three-pointers. Robertson was 10-for-16 from the field, including 9-for-12 from behind the three-point arc. She was also perfect from the free throw line, connecting on all eight attempts.
Senior Cisti Greenwalt had another double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. She also added four blocks to become the Big 12 Conference's career leader in blocked shots. Junior LaToya Davis chipped in 12 points and junior Erin Grant tallied 12 assists.
Tamara James led the Hurricanes with 16 points.
A Look Ahead
Texas Tech will host one more game before hitting the road again. The Lady Raiders will play Mississippi this Sunday, Dec. 12, at 1 p.m. Tech will travel to Las Vegas Dec. 18-19 to play in the Las Vegas Duel in the Desert. Tech plays Arkansas State Dec. 18 at 4:30 p.m. CST. The consolation and championship games are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. CST, respectively, on Dec. 19, and Tech will face either Virginia Tech or Western Michigan that day. Rounding out the schedule before the Christmas break will be a game with Penn State in Lubbock Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. The Lady Raiders will conclude non-conference play with home games against Sacramento State (Dec. 28, 7 p.m.) and Idaho State (Jan. 2, 2 p.m.).
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. On the year, she is shooting 61.1 percent from behind the three-point arc.
Big 12 Career Block Leader
Senior Cisti Greenwalt is now the Big 12 Conference's all-time leader in blocked shots with 212. 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 last Monday night. Robertson's previous career high was 27 at Oklahoma State last season.
Another Double-Double
For the third time in four games, senior Cisti Greenwalt posted another double-double as she had 20 points and 10 rebounds against the Hurricanes. The 20 points was a season high.
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.
Back-to-Back 50 Percent or Better
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. Tech was 25-of-50 for the night versus Arkansas-Little Rock for 50 percent. The Lady Raiders shot 55.1 percent, connecting on 38-of-69 attempts against Miami. Tech shot a season-high 61.1 percent from three-point range, hitting 11-of-18 attempts. Their 77.3 percent, 17-of-22, from the free throw line versus UALR was also a best for the year.
Double the Fun
Senior Cisti Greenwalt recorded her second double-double of the season and the 12th of her career with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Arkansas-Little Rock. The Clovis, N.M., native also chipped in five blocks, two assists and a steal in 26 minutes of play.
First Career 3
Junior Chesley Dabbs hit her first career three-point basket as a Lady Raider against Arkansas-Little Rock. She hit another one against Miami. For her career, Dabbs is 2-for-5 from behind the arc.
Large Margin of Victory
Texas Tech got a 60-point victory over Miami last Monday 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
Senior Cisti Greenwalt recorded her 11th career double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds against Rice, while 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 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 ranks fourth with 465 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 212.
Winning Percentage By Class
The senior class, which consists of just one player - Cisti Greenwalt is 77-27 (.740) and 31-17 (.646) in the Big 12. The juniors post a 57-15 (.792) mark and 23-9 (.719) in the conference. The sophomore class is 28-9 (.757) and 10-6 (.625) in the league, while the freshmen are 3-1 (.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 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 236 weeks. That includes the Dec. 6 polls in which Tech is ranked 13th in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Coaches poll and 13th 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)
