Lady Raiders Open Junkanoo Jam Against Purdue
November 27, 2014 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 27, 2014
FREEPORT, Bahamas - Texas Tech women's basketball opens the 2014 Junkanoo Jam against Purdue on Friday in the second game of the tournament at 2:15 p.m. Central Time at St. George's Gym.
Tech (4-0) is one of eight teams in the tournament and one of four in the Freeport Division along with Purdue (2-1), George Washington (3-2) and NC State (4-1). No. 1 South Carolina, Wisconsin, East Carolina and Syracuse make up the Lucaya Division.
This will actually be the second time head coach Candi Whitaker has taken on Purdue. The Lady Raiders last played the Boilermakers in the 2001 NCAA Tournament. Three Tech head coaches were on the floor that day with Marsha Sharp at the helm against Purdue head coach Kristy Curry and Whitaker running point for the Lady Raiders.
Friday's game will feature more of a post presence from both squads. Tech and Purdue have each been dominant in the paint through their first games this season. The Lady Raiders are outscoring opponents 30-20 in the paint through four games, led by senior Kelsi Baker and freshman Dayo Olabode.
Baker and Olabode are averaging 15.3 and 12.8 points per game with three double-doubles between the two. Baker has scored in double digits in all three games and tied her career-high with 18 against Jacksonville State earlier this season.
But Tech's outside play has been just as successful. Redshirt sophomore guard Minta Spears leads all Big12 Conference players from outside the arc. She's hit 10 of 14 (71.4 percent) including a 4-for-4 performance against Texas State.
Sophomore guard Ashley Morissette, who is averaging 15.7 points per game, leads Purdue into Friday's matchup.
Tech will face the winner or loser of the NC State vs. George Washington game at either noon or 2:15 p.m. CT on Saturday.
GAME 4: TEXAS TECH (AWAY) VS. PURDUE (HOME)
2014 JUNKANOO JAM - FREEPORT DIVISION
2:15 p.m. CT - Friday, Nov. 28, 2014
St. George's Gym - Freeport, Bahamas
Texas Tech (4-0), Purdue (2-1)
2nd Meeting (Purdue 1-0)
Last Meeting: Purdue 74, Texas Tech 72 - March 24, 2001 - Atlanta, Ga.
Radio: Texas Tech Sports Network - 97.3 FM Lubbock (Chuck Heinz)
Live Stream: www.junkanoojam.com
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP (CAREER STARTS)
G- Minta Spears (34 Starts); G-Jamie Roe (4 Starts); G-Rayven Brooks (4 Starts); F-Kelsi Baker (52 Starts); F-Dayo Olabode (4 Starts)
INSIDE THE JUNKANOO JAM
Texas Tech is facing off in the Bahamas for the first time in program history. The Lady Raiders have played two of the three possible teams they will face at the Junkanoo Jam:
vs. PURDUE (0-1)
3/24/01 L 72-74 N
vs. NC STATE
3/15/99 W 85-78 H
12/9/00 L 51-59 N
HISTORY IN PURDUE GAME
The matchup featuring Texas Tech in Purdue is quite different than the last time these two teams met. It was the 2001 NCAA Championship and the future coaching of Texas Tech basketball was together on one court without any of them knowing it. Marsha Sharp led the Lady Raiders with junior transfer Candi White as her star point guard against Purdue and head coach Kristy Curry, assistant and husband Kelly Curry and their star, Shereka Wright. Purdue would go on to win 74-72 in the sweet 16 matchup. Curry took over the head coaching reins at Tech when Sharp stepped down in 2006 with Kelly and Wright as assistants. Seven years later, White (now Whitaker) became the head coach.
SPEARS FROM DOWNTOWN
Texas Tech redshirt sophomore Minta Spears has hit 10 of 14 from outside the arc and leads the Big 12 Conference with a .714, 3-point field goal percentage. She tied a career high with a perfect 4-for-4 showing on 3-pointers vs. Texas State on Nov. 18. That matched her high of 3-point field goals made from last season at Arizona (Dec. 15).
DAYO'S DAY
Texas Tech freshman Dayo Olabode notched her second double-double and scored a career high 22 points to go with 11 rebounds in the win on Sunday. She has scored in double figures in three of her first four games as a Lady Raider, averaging 12.8 points per game.
4-0
Texas Tech moves to 4-0 on the season. The Lady Raiders are 4-0 to start the season for the firs time since 2011-12.
IN THE PAINT
Texas Tech continues to dominate teams in the paint. The Lady Raiders outscored Morgan State 34-18 in the paint and are averaging 30 points per game in the paint through three contests, outscoring teams by an average of 10 per game.
DOUBLE FIGURES
Texas Tech redshirt sophomore Minta Spears (13 points Sunday) has scored in double figures in 3 of 4 games this season. Senior Kelsi Baker had 17 points and has scored in double figures in all four games this season, averaging 15.3 per game.
LETHAL COMBO
Kelsi Baker, Minta Spears and Dayo Olabode combined to hit 17 of 29 from the field (58.6 percent) and score 52 of Tech's 65 points vs. Morgan State on Nov. 23 (80 percent).
FROM THE LINE
Kelsi Baker hit a new career-high in free throws made (9) and free-throw attempts (11) on Nov. 23 against Morgan State.
BAKER'S DOUBLE
Texas Tech redshirt senior Kelsi Baker scored 10 points and 11 rebounds on Nov. 21 for her second double-double of her career and first of the season. Her only other one came on March 9, 2013 in the opening round of the Big 12 Championship against Oklahoma State. She is averaging 14.7 points per game and now has 701 career points.
MOUSTY'S CAREER HIGH AND FIRSTS
Texas Tech sophomore transfer Jocelyn Mousty scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds off the bench for the Lady Raiders. She was 4 of 6 from the floor and hit her first 3-point field goal at Tech.
BENCH POINTS
Texas Tech players Jocelyn Mousty, Ivonne CookTaylor and Ryann Bowser combined for 25 points off the bench on Nov. 21 against Arizona. That's the most points off the bench since scoring 26 against Texas last season (March 1).
