Texas Tech Athletics
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Kansas
Kansas Holds Off Texas Tech
February 05, 2015 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 4, 2015
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LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Texas Tech went through a seesaw battle in the second half and nearly completed a nine-point rally in the final minutes behind a career-high 23 points from Ivonne CookTaylor as Kansas held off Tech for a 71-67 win on Wednesday at Allen Fieldhouse.
CookTaylor started her first game of the season in place of fellow redshirt sophomore Minta Spears. It was CookTaylor's first start since March 7 against TCU in the opening round of the Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City. Coincidentally, it was also when she set her former career-high of 18 points.
Tech (13-9, 3-7 Big 12) traded punches early in the second half after trailing 36-33 at the break. The Lady Raiders tied the game at 44 with 12:53 to go on a 3-pointer from CookTaylor that ignited a 12-2 run and gave them their largest lead at 53-46 midway through the second half.
Rayven Brooks' 3-pointer that capped the run would be Tech's last field goal for the next seven minutes as Kansas (13-10, 4-6) blew open the game with a 16-0 run behind eight points from Chelsea Gardner and two big 3-pointers by Natalie Knight and Chayla Cheadle.
The Lady Raiders missed eight consecutive shots and had two turnovers during the big run for Kansas.
CookTaylor and Brooks scored 12 of Tech's final 14 points as they cut the Jayhawks' lead to four with 17 seconds left. Kansas would throw the ball away on a long in-bounds pass, giving Tech a chance to pull within a possession but Ryann Bowser's running layup missed off the glass, giving Gardner the chance to finish the game at the foul line.
Brooks finished with 15 points and five rebounds while Bowser scored six and led Tech with three steals. Amber Battle - Tech's leading scorer and reigning Big 12 Player of the Week - ended the night with just three points on 1 of 9 shooting in 19 minutes played.
Tech will head back out on the road this weekend to take on TCU (13-8, 5-5) at 1 p.m., Sunday in Fort Worth.
