Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Iowa State
Lady Raiders Outlast Cyclones In First Round Big 12 Shootout
March 04, 2016 | Women's Basketball
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March 4, 2016
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- The Texas Tech Lady Raiders drilled 10 threes, snagged 45 rebounds and had four players score in double figures, outlasting Iowa State, 89-84, to open the 2016 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship, in Oklahoma City, on Friday.It marked the first win for the Lady Raiders at the Big 12 Championship since 2012. The Lady Raiders' 89 points were the second-most they have scored this season, and the most they have ever scored at the Big 12 Championship.
Tech (13-17) came out of the gates hot, using a 10-0 run to build an early 21-11 advantage. The run was sparked by Japreece Dean and Dayo Olabode, who each hit a pair of early threes. Tech held a 21-18 lead after one quarter, but Iowa State quickly tied it at 21, and went on a short burst to open up a 31-26 lead early in the second quarter.
From there, Dean responded as she would all night. She hit back to back shots to tie it at 31. Dean went on to finish with 28 points, which was a career high for her and a season high for a Tech individual. She also had five rebounds and five assists.
"For me, Japreece Dean is the Big 12 Freshman of the Year," Texas Tech head coach Candi Whitaker said. "What she has had to handle as a freshman for this team compared to other freshman in the league, being a point guard having to direct traffic, take a majority of the shots and get other people shots. She has been fantastic, and I'm just so proud of the freshman year she has had."
For the rest of the first half, the teams traded haymakers and a late Bridget Carleton three put the Cyclones (13-17) ahead, 46-43 at halftime. The teams combined to make 15 threes in the first half and shoot 32-67 (.478) from the field.
"I'm proud of our team, how we fought and how we played," Whitaker said. "I thought we shared the basketball really well, obviously shot it well and rebounded it--especially in the second half."
At halftime, Tech was outrebounding Iowa State 20-16, and had three offensive rebounds. Those numbers skyrocketed in the second half, thanks in part to Zuri Sanders, who finished with career highs in points (13) and rebounds (14). Seven of her rebounds were on the offensive glass, equaling Iowa State's team total.
"I thought Zuri Sanders was terrific on the offensive glass," Whitaker said. "Zuri is a freshman that was learning a lot, adjusting to the league and when she went to K-State and gave us 8 [points] and 8 [rebounds] is when I made the change and started her. She was starting to just really come on at that point and when she is in the game we are better defensively, and we are better on the boards."
Tech went on to outrebound Iowa State 25-11 in the second half, creating an overall 45-27 advantage on the glass. Tech had 13 offensive rebounds in the second half alone, two more than Iowa State's complete rebounding total for the half. Many of those offensive rebounds came at extremely crucial moments.
Texas Tech head coach Candi Whitaker
Early in the third quarter, Iowa State extended its lead to 51-45, its largest of the game at that point. Leashja Grant immediately responded with a putback off of a Dean miss. From there, Ivonne CookTaylor and Dean each scored a pair to tie it at 51. However, Iowa State pushed back ahead, 56-51, but Dean hit a three and Olabode followed with one of her own to trim the lead to 58-57. It would not be the last time Olabode drained a huge three.
Early in the fourth, there was a shift in momentum as Leashja Grant was whistled for a technical foul after Carleton made a jumper. ISU went ahead 67-63 after the free throws, but Tech responded again. CookTaylor scored back-to-back buckets to knot the game up at 67. She finished with 14 points and five boards, and has now scored at least 13 points in 13 of the last 16 games.
ISU responded to move ahead 70-67, but Sanders converted a traditional three-point play to tie it once again at 70, contributing to Tech's 20-6 advantage in second-chance points. ISU scored again to retake the lead, but then Seanna Johnson, who finished with 28 points, was whistled for a charge drawn by Jamie Roe. It was Johnson's fourth foul, and she exited the game at that time.
"I think the second-chance points were probably the difference in the ball game," Whitaker said. "We were pounding the glass. At halftime [I told them] we only had three, so we probably need to do a better job. Obviously they went out and did that, getting 13 in the second half. Zuri was leading the charge there."
A pair of free throws from ISU's Burkhall gave the Cyclones a 74-71 lead with 4:45 to go. From there, Olabode took over. She drilled a three out of the timeout to tie the game. Zuri Sanders tied it at 76, and then Olabode drove and scored to tie it at 78.
WATCH: Olabode with onions to give Tech the late lead on FCS! #WreckEm https://t.co/1XFXwymGCb
-- Lady Raider WBB (@LadyRaiderWBB) March 5, 2016
With the game tied at 80 and 1:15 to go, Olabode stepped back and buried her sixth three of the game to take an 83-80 lead. Olabode's six threes doubled her previous career high. She finished with 20 points.
To seal the game, Dean, CookTaylor and Rayven Brooks each knocked down a pair of free throws. Tech went 15-17 from the free throw line, and is now 6-0 this season when making at least 15 free throws.
With 3:00 or less to go and a margin of 10 points or fewer, the Lady Raiders are now 38-44 from the free throw line this season.
"I feel like the past few games a lot of people have been really confident in their shot and we've been pushing tempo a lot," Dean said. "Everybody was saying `We're in this, we've got it, we've got to go' and I feel like we were composed and people made big-time plays at the end."
Tech now advances to the Big 12 quarterfinals, where top-seeded and fourth-ranked Baylor awaits. Tipoff inside Chesapeake Energy arena is set for 1:30 p.m., and the game will be televised on FOX Sports Net.
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.
ICYMI: Check out the full on-court postgame interview from tonight's win with @CWhitakerTTU & @japreece24! #WreckEm https://t.co/aWyww2leFm
-- Lady Raider WBB (@LadyRaiderWBB) March 5, 2016
