Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Oklahoma
Texas Tech Falls To No. 22 Oklahoma
January 02, 2014 | Women's Basketball
Amber Battle scored 11 points to lead TexasTech on Thursday.
Jan. 2, 2014
LUBBOCK, Texas -- Texas Tech junior guard Amber Battle scored 11 points but No. 22 Oklahoma shot better than 61 percent from the field en route to a 68-38 win on Thursday at United Spirit Arena.
It was the 11th time this season Battle scored in double digits for Tech.
Tech (6-6, 0-1 Big 12) could not overcome its struggles from the floor and especially from outside the arc. The Lady Raiders shot just 23 percent from the field and were 5 of 31 on 3-point attempts.
"I thought we battled at times and got a lot of offensive boards and had some hustle plays," Texas Tech head coach Candi Whitaker said. "But ultimately we didn't make shots and you've got to make shots to beat a team like Oklahoma."
Oklahoma (10-4, 1-0) answered Battle's opening 3-pointer with a quick 13-2 run to take a decisive lead early. Tech would battle back with a quick 8-3 run of its own after another 3-pointer by Marina Lizarazu to pull within five points at 21-16. But that was as close as it would get the rest of the game.
The Sooners got inside the lane and often - outscoring the Lady Raiders 32-10 in the paint and opened things up for leading scorer Aaryn Ellenberg in the second half.
Ellenberg hit three, 3-pointers in the final 20 minutes, scoring 11 of her game-best 17 to lead three Sooners in double digits.
Senior Haley Schneider provided a spark for Tech defensively, knocking down a career-high four blocks in her first career start. Tech tallied up 12 steals and forced 20 turnovers for 16 points.
"I thought Haley did a great job on Nicole (Griffin)," Whitaker said. "She made her really work for touches and she protected the rim. She came off and blocked some shots when guards came to the rim and if she didn't block it, she impeded it a little bit and made it a tougher shot to make."
Tech will get back to practice for two days before welcoming in TCU (9-4, 0-1) at 1 p.m., Sunday. The Horned Frogs lost their conference home opener on Thursday, 71-49, to No. 10 Iowa State.
