Feb. 23, 2006

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The Game

Texas Tech (13-12/8-6) travels to Austin, Texas, to take on Texas (13-12/7-7) on Sun., Feb. 26, at 3 p.m. at the Frank Erwin Center. It is the 74th meeting between the two schools.

On the Air

The game is being televised on ESPN2 with play-by-play by Pam Ward and Nancy Lieberman as color analyst. 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 13-12 on the year and 8-6 in the Big 12 after beating Kansas, 62-50, last Wednesday in Lubbock. On the year, senior LaToya Davis leads the team in scoring at 19.2 points per game followed by junior Alesha Robertson at 12.8 and senior Erin Grant at 12.3. Davis is also the top rebounder, grabbing 10.9 boards per outing, while Robertson is averaging 6.8 rebounds. Davis is shooting a team-high 59.9 percent from the field and Grant is shooting 42.9 percent from behind the three-point arc and 78.2 percent from the free throw line. Grant has team highs of 157 assists and 27 steals. Sophomore Erin Myrick is the top shot blocker with 23 blocks. The Lady Raiders are shooting 41.9 percent from the field, 33.9 percent from three-point range and 65.1 percent from the charity stripe.

Scouting the Opponent

Texas enters the game with a 13-12 overall record and 8-6 in the Big 12 after losing at No. 25 Texas A&M, 79-67, last Wednesday. In that game, freshman Erika Arriaran scored a team-high 17 points, while senior Nina Norman had 16 and junior Tiffany Jackson finished with 14. Freshman Ashley Lindsey grabbed nine rebounds and Norman dished out nine assists. Senior Daria Mieloszynska tallied three steals.

On the year, Jackson paces the Longhorns in scoring with a 14.3 average followed by Arriaran at 11.2 and Norman at 10.8. Jackson is the top rebounder as she is averaging 8.6 rebounds per contest. Norman has a team-high 68 assists and Jackson leads the team in steals with 55. Lindsey is the top shot blocker with 48.

Jody Conradt is in her 30th year at the helm of the Longhorns, establishing a record of 764-227. She is in her 37th year as a head coach with a career record of 881-289.

Series Record

It is the 74th meeting between Texas Tech and Texas with the Longhorns leading the series 52-21. The Lady Raiders were victorious in the first game this year, 84-63, Feb. 1, in Lubbock. The teams split the two games last year, both winning on their home court. Tech won the first game, 79-62, Jan. 12 in Lubbock, while Texas was victorious, 64-43, Feb. 13, in Austin. Tech is 5-23 against Texas in Austin.

Last Time vs. Texas

Feb. 1, 2006 (AP) - LaToya Davis scored 23 points to lead five Texas Tech starters in double figures as the Lady Raiders defeated Texas 84-63 Wednesday night.

It was only the second time this season all five starters scored in double figures for Tech. The win was the most one-sided victory for Tech against Texas since February 2000 when the Lady Raiders won 73-44 in Lubbock.

Davis and Erin Grant each had double-doubles for Tech. Davis had 11 rebounds to go with her 23 points and Grant had 10 points and 11 assists.

Alesha Robertson had 21 points. Brooke Baughman added a career-high 16 points and Erin Myrick scored 12.

Tech used second-half runs of 15-5 and 9-0 to pull away 66-43 with 9:40 left in the game.

Tiffany Jackson had a double-double for Texas with 19 points and 12 rebounds and was the only Longhorn to score in double digits.

The Longhorns shot 21-for-53 from the field (40 percent) while the Lady Raiders connected on 29-for-57 ( 51 percent).

Tech also had 20 assists to Texas' nine.

Early in the first half, the Lady Raiders took advantage of a four-minute scoring drought by the Longhorns to go on a 12-0 run and take a 12-2 lead with more than 15 minutes remaining in the half.

Texas Tech then went more than five minutes without a field goal later in the first half, but Texas couldn't shave Tech's lead to less than five points. The Lady Raiders led 35-26 at the half.

Last Time Out

(AP) - LaToya Davis scored 21 points on near-perfect shooting to lead Texas Tech past Kansas, 62-50, Wednesday night.

Davis shot 9-of-11 from the field and had nine rebounds.

The game was close at 45-43 with less than eight minutes to go, but Tech closed out the game on a 17-7 run. Kansas didn't score for almost five minutes during that run.

Before that point, the teams went back and forth in scoring with nine lead changes and four ties.

Alesha Robertson added 16 points and eight rebounds for the Lady Raiders (13-12, 8-6 Big 12), who have won 10 straight at home.

Crystal Kemp had a double-double for Kansas (15-10, 4-10) with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Erica Hallman scored 15 points, and Taylor McIntosh added 14.

All but two points by the Jayhawks came from starters. In contrast, the Lady Raiders' bench contributed 11 points.

The Lady Raiders shot 48 percent from the field and 52 percent in the second half.

In the first half, Kansas jumped out to an early 9-2 lead, but Tech responded with a 12-4 run that featured two 3s by Robertson.

The teams were tied at 24 at halftime - the first time Tech had been tied at the break all season.

A Look Ahead

Texas Tech hosts Oklahoma in its final regular-season game on March 1, at 7 p.m. on the Texas Tech Television Network. The Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship will be held at Reunion Arena in Dallas March 7-11.

NCAA Stats

As of games through Feb. 20, Texas Tech ranks 28th in turnovers per game at 14.5, among all NCAA Division I teams. Senior LaToya Davis ranks 10th in rebounds per game at 11.0, 12th in field goal percentage at 59.1 and 21st in points per game at 19.1, and senior Erin Grant ranks 10th in assists per game at 6.3, 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 Named First Team Academic All-District VI

Senior Erin Grant was named to the CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI first team. Grant was one of six student-athletes to receive this honor for District VI. Grant now advances to the national ballot, which consists of all first team selections from the eight districts, a total of 42 student-athletes this year. In order to be nominated for Academic All-District and All-America honors, a player must be a starter or important reserve, must have a 3.20 cumulative grade-point average and must have completed at least one full academic year at her institution.

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 818 career assists. Grant broke the old record of 764, set by Oklahoma's Stacey Dales (1998-2002).

Grant Named Mid-Season Naismith Candidate

Senior Erin Grant was one of 30 women's basketball players named mid-season Naismith Trophy Candidates, which was announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club last week. The Naismith Trophy is presented annually to the National Player of the Year.

Three Join 1,000-Point Club

Senior LaToya Davis reached the 1,000th-career point plateau in the game against Fresno State. Davis currently has 1,247 points in her career, which is tied for 13th on Tech's career scoring list. Junior Alesha Robertson scored 16 points at Missouri to crack the 1,000th-point mark. She currently has 1,117 points in her career, which ranks 19th all-time at Tech. Senior Erin Grant chipped in 10 points at Texas A&M to join the 1,000-point club. Grant has 1,067 career points, which stands 23rd all-time.

Sharp Gets 570th Career Win

Head coach Marsha Sharp got her 570th-career win in the victory over Kansas. It also marked her 117th Big 12 win, which ranks first among all Big 12 coaches.

Davis Records Two More Double-Doubles

Senior LaToya Davis registered her 15th and 16th double-doubles of the season as she had 11 points and tied her season-high 15 rebounds at Iowa State, and had 23 points and 10 rebounds at Baylor. Davis has 26 career double-doubles.

Grant Gets Third Double-Double

Senior Erin Grant picked up her third double-double of the year as she had 19 points and 10 assists at Baylor. It was the fifth time this season she has recorded double-digit assists and the 22nd of her career.

Another 50 Percent Field Goal Effort

The Lady Raiders shot over 50 percent for the second time in three games as they shot 52.2 percent at Baylor (24-for-46) last Sunday. It marked the sixth time this season to shoot 50 percent or better from the field. Tech shot 50 percent against Colorado two games prior to the Baylor game. Tech's season-high field goal percentage is 62.5 percent against Oral Roberts Dec. 15.

Over 800 Assists

Senior Erin Grant cracked the 800 assist mark last week as she compiled nine assists at Iowa State to put her over 800 career assists. Entering the game versus Kansas, Grant has 818 career assists.

Grant and Robertson Put Up Points

Senior Erin Grant and junior Alesha Robertson combined to score 41 of Tech's 65 points at Iowa State. Grant led the Lady Raiders with 21 points and Robertson finished with 20.

Season-High Three-Pointers

Texas Tech hit nine three-pointers at Iowa State marking a season-high performance. In the first half, the Lady Raiders hit 8-of-11 three-pointers. Junior Alesha Robertson tied her season-high four three-pointers and senior Erin Grant tied her career-high three three-pointers against the Cyclones.

Starters Getting the Job Done

The starting five scored all but four points in the Lady Raiders' win over Colorado. Senior LaToya Davis poured in 22 points followed by senior Erin Grant and junior Alesha Robertson with 16 apiece. Sophomore Erin Myrick chipped in 12 points and junior Brooke Baughman had six. Myrick and Davis had nine and eight rebounds, respectively, while Grant and Baughman both tallied six assists. Grant also collected a season-high four steals.

Season-High Blocks for Griffin

Sophomore Darrice Griffin swatted a season-high three blocks against the Buffaloes. Her previous season-high was two at Kansas State.

Another Double-Double for Davis

Senior LaToya Davis collected her 14th double-double of the season with 12 points and 14 rebounds in the win over Oklahoma State (2/8).

Baughman Dishes Out

Junior Brooke Baughman dished out eight assists against the Cowgirls, just one assist shy of matching her career high of nine assists.

Edwards Ties Career Highs

Junior Patrice Edwards tied her career highs of six rebounds and two steals against Oklahoma State.

Three Starters Record Double-Doubles

The Lady Raiders had three starters record double-doubles at Texas A&M. 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.

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 Up the Charts

Junior Alesha Robertson ranks sixth in career three-point field goals made (139) and stands seventh in career three-point field goal attempts (373).

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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 99 of its 109 games it has played at the United Spirit Arena for a .908 winning percentage. In the Sharp era, the Lady Raiders have won 288 of their 332 home contests (.867 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 91-34 (.728) mark and 43-19 (.694) in the conference. The junior class posts a record of 62-28 (.689) and 30-16 (.652). The sophomore class is 37-20 (.649) and 20-10 (.667) in the league, while the freshmen are 13-12 (.520) and 8-6 (.571) 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 were 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 (L, 60-73). 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 (W, 76-56) 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 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.