Texas Tech Athletics
Idaho
Dean Drives Lady Raiders Past Vandals, 78-62
December 09, 2015 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 9, 2015
LUBBOCK, Texas --The Texas Tech Lady Raiders used a barrage of three-pointers and a career night from Japreece Dean to take down Idaho on Wednesday night, at United Supermarkets Arena.Texas Tech (6-1) moved to 5-0 at home, and picked up its first win of the season over a team receiving votes in the AP poll, which Idaho was after having defeated Iowa State by 30 and narrowly losing to Duke earlier this season. Texas Tech nailed 12 three-pointers, which was a season high and just two off the school record for a single game.
Check out the stat breakdown from tonight's big win over Idaho. #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/yE8Dv3TO17
-- Lady Raider WBB (@LadyRaiderWBB) December 10, 2015
The Lady Raiders started about as well as they could have, racing out to a 9-0 lead and not allowing Idaho (7-2) to score until the 3:29 mark of the first quarter. Idaho, which averages just 12 turnovers per game, turned the ball over seven times before scoring. Tech led 20-6, after the first frame. Idaho finished with 16 turnovers, compared to just 10 assists.
Idaho, which ranks third in the NCAA in made three-pointers per game (11.1), heated up late in the second quarter, hitting four-straight threes. The Vandals ended the half on a 9-2 run, cutting the Lady Raider lead to 39-28, at the half. That was as close as Idaho would get.
Tech used a 7-0 run solely by Ivonne CookTaylor to extend the lead early in the second half and led 57-42 after three frames. CookTaylor logged her second-career double-double, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds. It was the fifth 20-point game of her career.
Japreece Dean, in her first start as a Lady Raider, took over in the fourth quarter. She scored 11 of her career-high 23 points in the fourth, including hitting three of her four threes in the frame. Dean had not made a three-pointer this season entering tonight's game.
Just call her Japr33c3 D3an! Another nice three for the freshman in her first start! She has a career-high 21 points and Tech leads, 69-52.
-- Lady Raider WBB (@LadyRaiderWBB) December 10, 2015
"My coaches keep telling me to stay confident," Dean said. "I was just feeding myself the positivity, so I kept shooting and knew eventually one would fall."
Texas Tech had 19 assists on 30 made baskets, compared to just 13 turnovers, which tied for a season low.
Tech was ferocious on the defensive end once again, holding Idaho to just 38.3% from the field and 14 points below its season average. Tech has yet to allow an opponent to shoot 40% from the floor. Not only that, the Lady Raiders held Idaho's leading scorer, Geraldine McCorkell (16.0 ppg) to two points on 1-7 shooting.
Ryann Bowser had 11 points and tied a career high with three made threes, Leashja Grant just missed out on a double-double, scoring six points and grabbing 10 rebounds and Rayven Brooks dished out a career-high eight assists.
The Lady Raiders will now travel west to take on Santa Clara on Saturday, Dec. 12. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT.
Visit www.TexasTech.com for the latest news and information on the women's basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/LadyRaiderWBB and @LadyRaiderWBB on Twitter.
