Texas Tech Athletics
13-7,2-5Big 12
BYU
10-7,1-5Big 12
Shavers, Maupin lead Tech in scoring to defeat BYU
January 18, 2025 | Women's Basketball
LUBBOCK, Texas – All nine players recorded points in tonight's game as the Texas Tech Lady Raiders snapped a five-game skid after defeating the BYU Cougars, 70-65, on Saturday night at the United Supermarkets Arena.
Led in scoring by Jasmine Shavers with 19, the junior from Mesquite, Texas also added five rebounds, three assists, a steal and shot 9-for-10 from the free throw line for the Lady Raiders (13-7, 2-5 Big 12). This marked her team-leading 17th double-figure scoring game of the season.
Junior Bailey Maupin recorded her 16th double-figure performance this year with 18 points on 4-for-7 (.571) from the field and made 8-of-9 free throw attempts. Maupin tied for the team lead in rebounds with teammate Jada Wynn as they both totaled six against BYU (10-7, 1-5 Big 12). Wynn also grabbed a career best of two steals and added an assist.
Denae Fritz shot 60 percent (3-for-5) from behind the arc to tie a season best as she totaled nine points. She was all over the court – getting a career high of four steals while adding three assists and two blocks. Sophomore Jalynn Bristow added a season high in threes as she went 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, including a buzzer-beater triple to end the first half.
The Lady Raiders ended the game with 14 assists, the first time in the last four games getting double-digit assists. Tech also had the second-best shooting from the three-point line this year after going 9-for-19 (.474) from behind the arc. In addition, Tech outrebounded the Cougars 37 to 31 and tallied 13 offensive boards.
BYU scored first for an early 2-0 lead, but the Lady Raiders went on a 7-0 run heading into the media timeout thanks to a layup from Wynn, two free throws from Sarengbe Sanogo and a 3-pointer from Shavers. Bristow hit a three then Shavers made a tough layup for the 12-4 advantage. However, BYU went on an 8-0 run to tie it at 12-all. Maupin scored to stop the run and give Tech a 14-12 advantage, but the Cougars got the next three points to lead 15-14 at the end of the quarter.
Maupin scored first in the second period, nailing a 3-pointer for the 17-15 advantage. Maupin then made two free throws before the Cougars scored the next four points. The Lady Raiders went on a 6-0 run when Maupin connected with two free throws, Kilah Freelon made a layup and Maya Peat scored a tough bucket under the basket as Tech held a 25-21 lead going into the media timeout. Tech scored six more points, highlighted by a Fritz three, to lead 32-21. BYU got the next four points, but then the Lady Raiders got a buzzer-beating three from Bristow to take a 10-point lead into half, 35-25.
Tech opened the third quarter scoring five of the first seven points thanks to free throws from Maupin and a 3-pointer from Fritz. BYU added a free throw, but Fritz nailed another three right after to force a BYU timeout as the Lady Raiders led, 43-28. The Cougars scored 10 of the next 15 points to cut their deficit to 10. But, Maupin scored a three to stop their run, then Loghan Johnson made a free throw right after. BYU went on a 6-0 to end the quarter, as Tech led the game by a 52-44 score.
Shavers hit another Lady Raider triple to begin the final quarter, followed by back-to-back layups from Peat to lead 59-46. Shavers added two more free throws before the Cougars made six-consecutive points to make it 61-52. The Cougars got within six points with 1:39 left, calling a timeout after getting a defensive stop on the Lady Raiders' end of the court. BYU kept pushing back, closing the gap by as close as two points, but the Lady Raiders held strong as they won the game by a 70-65 score.
Up next, the Lady Raiders are on the road for a game against the Houston Cougars on Wednesday, January 22 at 7 p.m.
Quoteables
Head Coach Krista Gerlich
Opening statement…
"First and foremost, I just want to thank Lady Raider Nation for coming out and supporting us. I think they have every reason not to show up, and it just shows you what West Texas is about and what Lady Raider Nation is about. These kids have been fighting hard. We've been through a really rough patch. You know the men's game was earlier today, so there's a lot of pressure there for us to win and we need that home court advantage. I just appreciate so much that that they're hanging in there with us and showing love to these girls that are just giving it their all every single day, and like I said, it's been rough. It's been a rough patch, and I'm so happy for these girls to just pop the cap off and celebrate a win. BYU is a really good basketball team. We knew they would not go away. They fight extremely hard, and that was good for us to have to go down to the wire. And I didn't think that we showed very much composure late, but we did at the free throw line thanks to Jazzy [Shavers] and Bailey [Maupin]. But I do think we can learn a lot from this game. And what I love the most is the first half, our offensive fluidity was so much better. I think we played nine kids in the first half, and all nine scored, and that's been lacking. So, I think that was really huge. And then we were really, really guarding. So, we need to clean up the second half and learn how to do that for four complete quarters. And I think we're going to be a pretty tough basketball team."
On what this win means after being on a losing streak...
"We still have a great deal of basketball to play, and it's on us to find a way to hold our heads high, to continue to work, to continue to believe in each other, and find a way to get back on the winning side. And I think you saw a great deal of enthusiasm and attack in the first half tonight. I'm so proud of these girls for hanging on and finding a way to get it done because we needed that win just to pop the cap off a little bit for us to get our confidence back, you know, and now we've got to go back to work. I mean, it's not going to get any easier. We know that every game on our schedule is difficult. And I just love that they found a way to fight through for four quarters and get the win."
Redshirt Junior Guard Denae Fritz
On what it's like to be a Lady Raider…
"I just got here in the summer, and I think this is the most fun I've ever had on a team in my whole career. And I think that just goes to show no matter if it's your first year or your fourth, this team is special, and it starts with the coaches that brought me here. I don't think I would be where I'm on the basketball court and just like in life in general, without them and my teammates. So, you know this is a special moment for us and our coaches."
Junior Guard Jasmine ShaversÂ
On what it's like being a Lady Raider…
"I've been a Lady Raider for going on three years now, and it's just it's a special thing to be a part of. Like I mentioned, it's the 50 year anniversary, and you see tons of Lady Raiders coming back and just sharing their stories and sharing their legacy that they have left behind. Just to put on this jersey… It's just you're playing for more than yourself. You're playing for the people that played before you and you're playing for your sisters. So this 50th anniversary, getting to win on this day, was just truly amazing. I mean, we won, but I feel like the Lady Raiders that played before us felt it too, because they they've been in that moment too. So, it's just really special."
