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Rene Hanebutt led
Tech over Kansas.
(file photo)

 

Women's Hoops Claims Big 12 championship

Tech routs Kansas.

March 7, 1998 - KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Rene Hanebutt hit five of six 3-point shots and scored 21 points Saturday night, leading No. 6 Texas Tech to a 71-53 victory over Kansas for the championship of the Big 12 women's tournament.

Alicia Thompson, the tournament's most valuable player, added 14 points and Hanebutt handed out six assists as the Lady Raiders (25-4) earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Jennifer Jackson scored six straight points in an 11-2 run as Kansas (21-8) cut Texas Tech's 18-point lead to 42-33 with just under 11 1/2 minutes left. But Thompson responded with two quick baskets in the next minute and Katrisa O'Neal followed with a steal and layup as Texas Tech put together an 11-1 run for a 53-34 lead.

Hanebutt's fourth 3-pointer put Texas Tech up 58-37 with 7:08 remaining. After that, Kansas never got closer than 13 points.

Texas Tech's Angie Braziel missed about 5 1/2 minutes early in the second half after taking an elbow in the nose from Lynn Pride as the Kansas player scored on a follow shot. After scoring 13 points on 11-for-16 shooting in the first half, Braziel didn't score again.

Jaclyn Johnson led Kansas with 17 points, while Pride had 14 points and nine rebounds.

Braziel and Pride were also named to the all-tournament team, along with Cheri Edwards of Oklahoma State and Iowa State's Stacy Frese.

Kansas shot just 36 percent from the field and was 1-for-10 from 3-point range. The Jayhawks were 8-for-30 in the first half, twice going without a field goal for more than five minutes.

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