Feb. 6, 2006

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The Game

Texas Tech (10-10/5-4) hosts Oklahoma State (6-15/0-10) tonight at 7 p.m. at the United Spirit Arena. It is the 34th meeting between the two schools.

On the Air

There is not television coverage for this game. The game can be heard on the radio on the Texas Tech Sports Network as Ryan Hyatt (play-by-play) and Crystal Boles (color analyst) call the game.

The Lady Raiders

Texas Tech is 10-10 on the year and 5-4 in the Big 12 after losing 65-48 at Texas A&M last Sunday. On the year, senior LaToya Davis leads the team in scoring at 19.5 points per game followed by junior Alesha Robertson at 12.3 and senior Erin Grant at 11.8. Davis is also the top rebounder, grabbing 10.9 boards per outing, while Robertson is averaging 7.1 rebounds. Davis is shooting a team-high 59 percent from the field and Grant is shooting 41.4 percent from behind the three-point arc and 78.3 percent from the free throw line. Grant has a team-high 126 assists and Davis leads the team in steals with 21. Sophomore Erin Myrick is the top shot blocker with 21 blocks. The Lady Raiders are shooting 41.3 percent from the field, 31.9 percent from three-point range and 64.3 percent from the charity stripe.

Scouting the Opponent

Oklahoma State owns a 6-15 overall record and is 0-10 in Big 12 play after losing to Baylor, 81-54, last Saturday in Stillwater. In that game, junior Whitney Pegram scored a team-high 19 points and freshman Shaunte' Smith added nine points and eight rebounds. Senior Catherria Turner dished out three assists and Pegram collected three blocks and two steals.

On the year, Pegram paces the Cowgirls in scoring with a 15.6 average followed by Smith at 11.1. Junior Destanie Sykes is the top rebounder, averaging 7.0 boards per contest. Junior Brisa Silva has team highs of 80 assists and 34 steals. Pegram is the top shot blocker with 63 blocks. OSU is shooting 39.7 percent from the field, 31.3 percent from the three-point arc and 56.8 percent from the free throw line.

Kurt Budke is in his first year at the helm of the Cowgirls establishing a record of 6-15. He is also in his 13th year as a head coach with a career record of 359-61.

Series Record

Texas Tech is 21-12 against Oklahoma State after winning the first game this year, 61-51, in Stillwater Jan. 25. The Lady Raiders won both games last year as they beat the Cowgirls, 76-38, Jan. 8, in Stillwater and again, 65-52, Feb. 16, in Lubbock. OSU's last victory was on Jan. 24, 2004, in an 88-87 overtime win. Tech is 10-4 against the Cowgirls in Lubbock.

Last Time vs. Oklahoma State

Jan. 25, 2006 (AP) - LaToya Davis scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to help lead Texas Tech to a 61-51 win over Oklahoma State Wednesday night.

The Lady Raiders (9-8, 4-2 Big 12) shot 50 percent from 3-point range and jumped to a 31-20 halftime lead.

Erin Grant scored 15 points and Alesha Robertson added eight points and 13 rebounds for Texas Tech. Grant had seven assists to become the Big 12 Conference's all-time career leader for assists (770); surpassing the old mark of 764 set by Oklahoma's Stacey Dales (1998-2002).

Shaunte' Smith scored 16 points to lead the Cowgirls (6-12, 0-7). Whitney Pegram came off the bench to add 11 points for Oklahoma State, which shot just 18 percent from 3-point range.

Last Time Out

(AP) - Morenike Atunrase scored 14 points and had a season-high six blocked shots to help lead Texas A&M past Texas Tech 65-48 on Sunday.

Patrice Reado and A'Quonesia Franklin each scored 12 points for the Aggies (17-5, 6-3 Big 12), who beat Texas Tech for the first time since the 1996 Southwest Conference championship game. Reado had seven rebounds, four blocked shots and two steals.

Texas A&M took the lead for good at 13-12 on Reado's layup with 11:20 left in the first half and steadily pulled away. The Aggies led 37-24 at the half.

Alesha Robertson hit a 3-pointer for Texas Tech (10-10, 5-4) to start the second half, cutting the margin to 37-27, but the Aggies responded with an 8-0 run over the next five minutes to take a 45-27 lead with 14:10 left.

The final margin of victory was the largest in the series, tying the 17-point margin in 1976.

Robertson led Texas Tech with 16 points. LaToya Davis added 14 and Erin Myrick had 10 points and 14 rebounds.

Texas A&M got 23 points from its bench while the Lady Raiders got one.

Texas A&M shot 50 percent from the field in the first half and finished with 39 percent. Texas Tech shot 32 percent in the first half and 31

A Look Ahead

Texas Tech hosts Colorado Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on the Texas Tech Television Network. Tech will take to the road for games at Iowa State Feb. 14, at 7 p.m. and at Baylor Feb. 19, at 2 p.m. on FSN. The Lady Raiders host Kansas Feb. 22, at 7 p.m., play at Texas Feb. 26, at 3 p.m. on ESPN2 and round out the regular season by hosting Oklahoma March 1, at 7 p.m.

NCAA Stats

As of games through Jan. 30, Texas Tech ranks 14th in turnovers per game at 13.8, among all NCAA Division I teams. Senior LaToya Davis ranks 14th in field goal percentage at 58.9 percent, 15th in rebounds per game at 10.9 and 19th in points per game at 19.6, and senior Erin Grant ranks 10th in assists per game at 6.2, among all NCAA Division I players.

Senior CLASS Finalists

Seniors LaToya Davis and Erin Grant have been named two of the 30 finalists for the 2006 Senior CLASS Award, which is presented annually to the nation's senior player of the year. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award was launched during the 2001-02 season in response to the trend of college basketball players leaving college early to turn professional. A national media committee will select 10 finalists in February.

Grant Becomes Big 12 Leader in Career Assists

Senior Erin Grant dished out seven assists at Oklahoma State, which allowed her to become the Big 12 Conference's all-time career leader in assists, which she currently has 787 career assists. Grant broke the old record of 764, set by Oklahoma's Stacey Dales (1998-2002).

Three Starters Record Double-Doubles

The Lady Raiders had three starters record double-doubles at Texas A&M last Sunday. Junior Alesha Robertson had 16 points and 11 rebounds, while senior LaToya Davis had 14 points and 10 rebounds and sophomore Erin Myrick finished with 10 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. It was the 13th double-double of the season for Davis, the fourth for Robertson and the first for Myrick. Davis has 23 double-doubles in her career.

Seeing Double

For the second time this season, all five starters scored in double figures for Tech in the win over Texas. Senior LaToya Davis led the way with 23 points followed by junior Alesha Robertson with 21, junior Brooke Baughman with 16, sophomore Erin Myrick with 12 and senior Erin Grant with 10. The Lady Raiders also had all five starters (Davis, Robertson, Myrick, Henderson, Grant) score in double figures against Oral Roberts on Dec. 15.

Baughman Has Big Night

Junior Brooke Baughman had a big night against the Longhorns as she poured in a career-high 16 points and hit a career-high four three-pointers in the win.

Twelfth Double-Double for Davis

Senior LaToya Davis had her 12th double-double of the year as she finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds against Texas.

Second Double-Double for Grant

Senior Erin Grant had her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds versus Texas. It was the fourth time this year she has had 10 or more assists and the 21st of her career. The 11 assists tied her season high.

Robertson Reaches 1,000th-Point Mark

Junior Alesha Robertson scored 16 points at Missouri to crack the 1,000th-point mark. She currently has 1,044 points in her career, which ranks 23rd all-time at Tech. Robertson stands seventh all-time in three-point field goal attempts (339) and seventh in three-point field goals made (125).

Robertson Grabs Career-High Boards

Junior Alesha Robertson grabbed a career-high 13 boards at Oklahoma State. Robertson's previous career high was 11 on three occasions.

Davis Collects 11th Double-Double

Senior LaToya Davis registered her 11th double-double of the season with 18 points and 14 rebounds at Oklahoma State.

First Road Win

Texas Tech got its first road win of the season in a 61-51 victory at Oklahoma State. Tech's only other win away from Lubbock was a neutral site game against Louisville in the Caribbean Classic in Cancun, Mexico.

First Time Above 500, Again

The win over Texas gave Tech a 10-9 record (.526), marking its second time this season with a record above .500. Tech was 9-8 after winning at Oklahoma State Jan. 25. Four times the Lady Raiders have been .500, at 7-7, 8-8, 9-9 and currently at 10-10.

First Win in Red Uniforms

Texas Tech got its first win of the year in its red uniforms with the victory at Oklahoma State. In Tech's neutral site win over Louisville, the Lady Raiders were the home team and wore their white unis. This is the first season Tech has worn red on the road since the 2000-01 season.

Sharp the Best in the Big 12

Texas Tech head coach Marsha Sharp had produced the most wins of any coach in Big 12 play. Sharp has led the Lady Raiders to a Big 12-leading 114 conference wins since 1997.

Tenth Double-Double for Davis

Senior LaToya Davis had her 10th double-double of the season with 25 points and 12 rebounds against Nebraska.

Grant Dishes Out Double-Digit Assists

For the third time this season, senior Erin Grant had double-digit assists as she dished out 10 assists against Nebraska. She currently has four double-digit assists games this year.

Third Double-Double for Robertson

Junior Alesha Robertson recorded her third double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds at Oklahoma.

Lady Raiders Swat Season High

As a team, Texas Tech swatted a season-high seven blocks at Oklahoma on Wednesday. Junior Alesha Robertson and sophomore Erin Myrick led the way with two blocks apiece, while senior LaToya Davis, senior Erin Grant and sophomore Darrice Griffin each had one block.

First Top 25 Win

Texas Tech's 64-62 win over No. 5/5 Baylor was the first victory against a team ranked in the Top 25 this season. Tech was 0-2 against teams in the Top 25, which included losses to No. 3/3 LSU and No. 15/13 Stanford.

First Win on Sunday and Wednesday

The win against Baylor marked the Lady Raiders' first win on a Sunday. Tech was 0-3 on Sundays entering the game against the Lady Bears as it had lost to LSU, Stanford and Penn State all on Sunday. Tech got its first win on a Wednesday at Oklahoma State. The Lady Raiders were 0-3 on Wednesday until beating the Cowgirls in Stillwater.

Davis Registers Ninth Double-Double

Senior LaToya Davis registered her ninth double-double of the season as she had 11 points and tied her season-high 15 rebounds against Baylor.

Robertson Scores Season High

Junior Alesha Robertson scored a season-high 22 points and tallied 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season in the win over Baylor.

Myrick Chips in 10 in Win

Sophomore Erin Myrick chipped in 10 points in the win against Baylor. She also picked up six rebounds.

Eighth Double-Double for Davis

Senior LaToya Davis collected her eighth double-double of the season with 22 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Texas A&M Jan. 7.

Season-High Boards for Davis

Senior LaToya Davis grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds at Kansas State just one rebound shy of her career-high 16.

Davis Gets Seventh Double-Double of Year

Senior LaToya Davis turned in her seventh double-double of the season with 27 points and 11 rebounds against Fresno State.

Robertson Registers First Double-Double of 05-06

Junior Alesha Robertson had her first double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 rebounds against Fresno State.

Davis Reaches 1,000-Point Plateau

Senior LaToya Davis reached the 1,000th-career point plateau in the game against Fresno State. Davis currently has 1,158 points in her career, which ranks 15th on Tech's career scoring list.

More Double-Doubles for Davis

Senior LaToya Davis registered her fifth and sixth double-doubles of the season as she had 24 points and 13 rebounds against Louisville, and 16 points and 12 rebounds versus Virginia Tech in the Caribbean Classic. In the Caribbean Classic, Davis averaged 20 points and 12.5 rebounds, both tournament highs.

Davis Named Big 12 Player of the Week

Senior LaToya Davis was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Dec. 19 for her performance the week of Dec. 12-18. Davis poured in a career-high 33 points in Texas Tech's 99-58 win over Oral Roberts in the Lady Raiders' lone contest that week. Davis scored 25 of her points in the first half. The Houston, Texas, native shot 81.3 percent from the field, hitting 13-of-16 shots. Davis was also 7-of-10 from the free throw line for 70 percent. She added eight rebounds and a steal in the 41-point victory in 25 minutes of action.

Biggest Win of the Season

Texas Tech got its biggest win of the season in a 41-point victory as it beat Oral Roberts 99-58 Dec. 15.

Davis Keeps on Going

Senior LaToya Davis scored a career-high 33 points in just 25 minutes of play against ORU, including 25 first-half points. Her previous career high was 26 on two occasions.

Grant Pours in Career High Points

Senior Erin Grant poured in a career-high 28 points in Tech's double overtime loss to Penn State. Her previous high was 27 against Kansas in 2004. She also hit a season-high two three-pointers against the Lady Lions.

Davis Sets Tip-Off Classic Record

Senior LaToya Davis set a new State Farm Women's Tip-Off Classic record for field goal percentage as she was 10-for-13 for 76.9 percent against LSU. The old mark was 72.8 percent held by three players.

Home Sweet Home

Texas Tech has won 96 of its 106 games it has played at the United Spirit Arena for a .906 winning percentage. In the Sharp era, the Lady Raiders have won 285 of their 329 home contests (.866 percent). Tech has produced five perfect seasons at home 1999-00 (16-0), 1998-99 (14-0), 1995-96 (16-0), 1992-93 (15-0) and 1991-92 (11-0).

Diploma in Hand

Senior Erin Grant is not only a standout on the court, but also in the classroom. Grant graduated from Texas Tech last May with degrees in marketing and general business in just three years. She is currently working on her MBA.

Winning Percentage By Class

The senior class is 88-32 (.733) mark and 40-17 (.702) in the conference. The junior class posts a record of 59-26 (.694) and 27-14 (.659). The sophomore class is 34-18 (.654) and 17-8 (.680) in the league, while the freshmen are 10-10 (.500) and 5-4 (.556) in the Big 12.

Sister Act

The Lady Raiders welcome their first pair of sisters to their roster this season in sophomore Darrice Griffin and freshman Teddy Griffin. They are also the first second generation players to play for head coach Marsha Sharp. The Griffins' mother, Tami Wilson, played for Texas Tech in 1990-92.

On the Tube

Texas Tech will have 17 regular-season games televised this season. Tech will appear on ESPN2 three times: LSU (L, 68-76), at Penn State (L 2OT, 72-78) and at Texas Feb. 26; and on ESPNU once: Texas (W, 84-63). The Lady Raiders will play on FSN six times: Stanford (L, 63-66), (W, 64-62), Nebraska (W, 61-59), at Missouri (L, 51-65), at Texas A&M (L, 48-65) and at Baylor Feb. 19. Tech played on FSN Midwest at Kansas State (L, 51-53). The Texas Tech Television Network will air the following games: Sac State (W, 63-53), Oral Roberts (W, 99-58), Texas A&M (W, 56-55), Colorado Feb. 11 and Oklahoma March 1. Tech's game at Oklahoma (L, 63-57) aired on the Sooner Sports Network and broadcast back to Lubbock.

ESPN Experts Like Grant

ESPN.com grilled its panel of experts - bracket Charlie Creme, columnist Mechelle Voepel and ESPN's Nancy Lieberman and Beth Mowins on their picks for the 2005-06 season. Texas Tech's Erin Grant was picked the best passer in the country by Creme, Lieberman and Voepel, while Voepel chose Grant as the best ball handler in the nation. Creme and Lieberman also picked the Lady Raiders to win the Big 12 Championship.

Follow the Lady Raiders

All Lady Raider basketball games can be heard live on the Texas Tech Sports Network on KFYO-AM 790 and KKCL-FM 98.1 locally. Listen to play-by-play by Ryan Hyatt as he takes the court with the Lady Raiders. The following radio stations will air the Lady Raider basketball games this season:

Amarillo - KIXZ-AM (940)

Haskell - KVRP-FM (97.1)

Hereford - KPAN-AM/FM (860/106.3)

Lamesa - KPET-AM (690)

Lubbock - KFYO-AM/KKCL-FM (790/98.1)

Midland - KMMD/KRIL-AM (1510/1410)

Plainview - KVOP-AM (1090)

Lady Raider Basketball with Marsha Sharp

Marsha Sharp's weekly television show, Lady Raider Basketball with Marsha Sharp, is televised every Sunday on FOX34 at 10 p.m. and UPN Lubbock at 10:30 p.m.

The Marsha Sharp Radio Show

The Marsha Sharp Radio Show is held each Monday starting from 6-7 p.m. at the south end meeting rooms at the United Spirit Arena. The shows on Feb. 6 and Feb. 20 will be on the press level of the West Side Stadium Building.The show will air on KFYO-AM 790 and KKCL-FM 98.1 locally.

Lady Raiders Ink Two to National Letters of Intent

Texas Tech signed two standout student-athletes to National Letters of Intent: Raquel Christian (Midland, Texas) and Jordan Murphree (Brock, Texas). Christian is a 5-7 guard from Midland High School and Murphree is a 5-11 guard from Brock High School.

Lubbock - The Place to Live

The first-ever Coldwell Banker® College Market Home Price Comparison Index (HPCI) found that fans and alumni of Texas Tech should stand and cheer. Lubbock, Texas, ranks as the most affordable college town in the study, with an average home price of $164,133. The College Market HPCI evaluated average home values for a single-family dwelling in a middle-management community measuring approximately 2,200 square feet with four bedrooms, two and one-half baths, a family room (or equivalent) and two-car garage. The snapshot study examined 59 markets that are home to the premier college football programs in the country. Palo Alto, Calif., home of Stanford, topped the charts as the most expensive college town in the index at $1,550,000.