Feb. 23, 2009

Complete Release in PDF Format

Game 27 vs. #6/5 Baylor • February 25, 2009
Ferrell Center (10,284) • Waco, Texas • 7 p.m.

The Game
Texas Tech (15-11/5-7) plays its second-straight road game as it travels to Waco, Texas, to take on No. 6/5 Baylor (21-4/9-3) on Wed., Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. The teams are meeting for the second time this season. It is the 68th scheduled meeting in the series.

On the Air
There is no television coverage of this game. The game can be heard on the radio on the Texas Tech Sports Network as Ryan Hyatt calls the game. The game can also be heard on the internet at www.texastech.com through RaiderVision All-Access. Live stats are available through gametracker at www.texastech.com.

The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 15-11 on the year and 5-7 in the Big 12 after beating Oklahoma State, 74-70, last Saturday in Stillwater. On the year, senior Dominic Seals is averaging 13.8 points per game followed by junior Jordan Murphree at 11.7 and freshman Kierra Mallard at 9.7. Mallard is the top rebounder, grabbing 8.2 boards per outing and Seals is averaging 8.0 rebounds. Seals is shooting 44.6 percent from the field and junior Maddy Brown has a team-high 37.1 percent from the three-point line. Junior Tilmila Martin is shooting a team-best 87.5 percent from the free throw line. Senior Maria Moore has a team-high 87 assists, while Seals is the top shot blocker with 32 blocks. Murphree leads the team in steals with 42. The Lady Raiders are shooting 39.8 percent from the field, 31.1 percent from three-point range and 69.7 percent from the charity stripe.

Scouting the Opponent
No. 6/5 Baylor enters the game with a 21-4 overall record and a 9-3 mark in Big 12 play after losing at No. 2/2 Oklahoma, 66-58, last Saturday. In that game, junior Danielle Wilson scored a team-high 16 points and sophomores Kelli Griffin and Melissa Jones each finished with 12 points. Wilson also had 10 rebounds and two blocks, while Griffin tallied three assists. On the year, Wilson paces the Lady Bears in scoring with a 15.5 average followed by senior Jessica Morrow at 10.8. Wilson is the top rebounder, averaging 9.6 rebounds per contest. Griffin leads the team in assists with 82 and Jones has a team-high 38 steals. Wilson is the top shot blocker with 78 blocks. Baylor is shooting 43 percent from the field, 33.5 percent from the three-point arc and 65.3 percent from the free throw line.

The Coaches
Texas Tech head coach Kristy Curry is in her third season at the helm of the Lady Raiders. Curry has compiled a record of 47-43 at Tech and a career record of 226-94 in her 10th year. Kim Mulkey is in her ninth year as head coach of the Lady Bears with a career record of 229-64.

Series Record
Texas Tech is 47-20 against Baylor (including a forfeit by Baylor in 1989). The Lady Bears have won the last six games, including this year's first meeting, 76-64, in Lubbock on Jan. 24. Tech's last win came during the 2006 Big 12 season when the Lady Raiders upset then No. 5 Baylor, 64-62, in Lubbock Jan. 15. The last time Tech won in Waco was on Feb. 8, 2004, in a 62-59 triumph. The Lady Raiders are 19-8 against Baylor in Waco.

Last Time vs. Baylor ~ Jan. 24, 2009
(AP) - Danielle Wilson had 17 points and a career-high 17 rebounds to lead the Lady Bears to a 76-64 victory over Texas Tech, giving the Lady Bears their 11th straight win. At one point, Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said, it looked like Wilson was close to pinning a Tech player's shot against the glass. It was Wilson's ninth double-double in the past 12 games. Jessica Morrow added 15 points for the Lady Bears. Baylor built its biggest lead of the game, 72-56, with under 3 minutes left. The Lady Raiders scored six quick points, but by then it was too late. The Lady Bears shot a season-high 88.5 percent (23-of-26) from the free throw line. Maria Moore scored a career-high 22 points and Kierra Mallard added 12 points to lead the Lady Raiders, who have lost three of their last four games. Texas Tech fell behind early in the first half, failing to score a basket for more than 7 minutes. Down 30-15, the Lady Raiders scored on all but one of their next 11 possessions. They closed the half on a 20-8 run and trailed Baylor 38-35 at halftime. But the Lady Bears started the second half with a 15-2 run to lead 53-37, and Tech tried to play catch up the rest of the game. Baylor held Tech's leading scorer, Dominic Seals, a couple of points below her average (13.9).

Last Time Out
With a 74-70 victory over Oklahoma State, the Texas Tech women's basketball team's hopes for a NCAA Championship berth are still alive.

In a game that had several lead changes, the Lady Raiders (15-11/5-7) opened the game with an 8-2 advantage the first three and half minutes. Their biggest lead of the first half was seven points, twice, with the last coming on a jumper by Jordan Barncastle at the 12:02 mark to give Tech a 16-9 lead. With just under 10 minutes to go, the Cowgirls (15-10/4-8) took their first lead, 18-16, on a jumper by Andrea Riley. OSU got up by as many as five points over the next six minutes before Tech's Dominic Seals scored the final points of the half as she hit two free throws with 15 seconds left to tie the score at 34-34.

The second half was just at close as the first as the lead changed seven times in the final 20 minutes of play. After the game was tied at 63-63 with 3:43 remaining in the contest, Tech's Maria Moore hit a layup at the 3:30 mark to give the Lady Raiders back the lead. After that layup, Riley was called for a technical foul which sent Jordan Murphree to the line. Murphree hit one of two free throws to put Tech up 66-63. Tegan Cunningham missed a three-point attempt and a free throw before Tech's Maddy Brown responded by nailing a three with 2:23 to go to give the Lady Raiders a six-point lead at 69-63. In the final minute and a half of the game, Tech hit 5-of-10 shots from the charity stripe to clinch the four-point win.

Seals and Murphree led the way for Tech scoring 22 and 20 points, respectively. Seals had her 10th double-double of the season as she added 13 rebounds. Kierra Mallard finished with 11 boards.

Andrea Riley had 29 points to lead Oklahoma State.

OSU outshot the Lady Raiders 38.2 percent to 36.8 percent. The Cowgirls also outrebounded Tech by four, 47-43.

The Lady Raiders shot a season-high 38 free throws, connecting on 27 of them (71.1 percent).

A Look Ahead
Texas Tech returns to the United Spirit Arena on Sat., Feb. 28, for an 8 p.m. game against Iowa State. The Lady Raiders play at Oklahoma on Wed., March 4, at 7 p.m., and then finish regular-season play at home on Sat., March 7, against Missouri at 2 p.m. The last three games will be on the Texas Tech Television Network. The Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship will be held March 12-15, at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Change in Lineup
Head coach Kristy Curry has used 11 different lineups in 25 games this season. One lineup has been used in 12 games - Ashlee Roberson (F), Dominic Seals (F) Kierra Mallard (C), Maria Moore (G) and Jordan Murphree (G). Tech is 6-6 with this lineup.

First Top 10 Win in Curry Era
Texas Tech got its first win over a top 10 team in the Kristy Curry era as the Lady Raiders upset then No. 8/12 Texas, 65-62, in its Big 12 opener. It was the first time Tech had beaten a top 10 since beating No. 5 Baylor, 64-62, on Feb. 15, 2006, in Lubbock. Tech then got another top 10 win as it defeated then No. 12/8 Texas A&M, 60-53, on Feb. 11, in Lubbock, snapping a six-game losing streak against the Aggies.

Tech vs. the Top 25
Texas Tech is 2-6 against teams ranked in the top 25. The Lady Raiders suffered their first loss to a ranked opponent as they fell to then No. 3/3 California, 68-54, on Nov. 28, in St. Thomas. Tech got its first top 25 win of the season on Jan. 10, with a 65-62 triumph over Texas in Lubbock before losing at then No. 8/6 Texas A&M, 67-56, on Jan. 13. The Lady Raiders then lost at home to then No. 18/15 Kansas State, 60-48, on Jan. 21, and then No. 5/4 Baylor, 76-64, on Jan. 24, before losing at then No. 16/18 Texas, 77-46, on Feb. 8. Tech got its second top 25 win in a 60-53 triumph over then No. 12/8 Texas A&M on Feb. 11, in Lubbock. The Lady Raiders lost a heartbreaker to then No. 2/2 Oklahoma, 80-72, in Lubbock on Feb. 17.

Murphree Has Back-to-Back 20-Point Games
For the first time in her career, junior Jordan Murphree turned in back-to-back 20-plus scoring games. In the 80-72 loss to No. 2 Oklahoma, Murphree poured in a career-high 25 points, and then scored 20 points in the win at Oklahoma State. Her previous career high was 22 points, which she scored against Arkansas in January. Murphree has scored in double figures in the last five games.

Tenth Double-Double for Seals
Senior Dominic Seals recorded her 10th double-double of the season as she tied her season-high 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds at Oklahoma State. It marked the 19th of her two-year career. She has scored in double figures in 22 games this season and had double-digit rebounds 10 times.

Charity Shots
The Lady Raiders attempted a season-high 38 free throws at Oklahoma State, connecting on 27 of those shots for 71.1 percent. Senior Dominic Seals had 16 of those attempts, marking the first time a Lady Raider had attempted 15 or more free throws in a game since Plenette Pierson attempted 15 against Missouri on Jan. 28, 2003.

Seals Back in Double Digits
Senior Dominic Seals scored 17 points versus the Sooners for her 21st game of double-figure scoring. She just missed another double-double with nine rebounds.

Moore Comes Back
After injuring her left knee against Texas A&M on Feb. 11 and only playing three minutes at Nebraska on Feb. 14, senior point guard Maria Moore returned to the starting lineup against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State and had back-to-back games of double-figure scoring as she had 13 and 11 points, respectively, against OU and OSU.

Cleaning the Glass
Junior Ashlee Roberson collected 11 rebounds versus Oklahoma, marking her third double-digit rebound game of the season. She grabbed a career-high 14 against Oklahoma State earlier this year and had 13 versus Arkansas in January. And then freshman Kierra Mallard had her seventh double-digit rebounding game as she collected 11 boards at Oklahoma State. Six of those 10-plus rebounding games have come during Big 12 play.

Mallard Has Career High, Another Double-Double
Freshman Kierra Mallard had her 13th game of the year of double-figure scoring as she had 13 points at Nebraska. All but two of her double-digit outputs have come in the last 17 games. For the first nine games of the season, Mallard was averaging 7.1 points, and in the last 15 contests she has upped that average to 11.0 points per game. She has also increased her rebound average as well, grabbing 5.4 boards to start the season compared to 9.6 rebounds in the last 17 games.

Hitting the 3
Junior Jordan Murphree hit a career-high four three-pointers in Tech's loss at Nebraska. Her previous career high was three on three occasions in her career.

Big Minutes for Tiny
Senior Tiny Henderson got 34 minutes of playing time at Nebraska, which matched her season high in minutes as she also played 34 minutes against Washington in November. Henderson scored 10 points, tied her season-high six rebounds and tallied a season-high three steals against the Huskers. Her 10 points were just the second time this season she had scored in double figures. She scored a season-high 11 points versus South Florida in the Paradise Jam back in November.

Balanced Attack
For the fourth time this season and the first time in Big 12 play, the Lady Raiders had five players score in double figures in their win over No. 12/8 Texas A&M on Feb. 11. Freshman Kierra Mallard led the way with 15 points, while juniors Jordan Murphree and Tilmila Martin both finished with 12 points. Seniors Dominic Seals and Maria Moore had 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Ninth Double-Double for Seals
Senior Dominic Seals scored 11 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against Texas A&M on Feb. 11, for her ninth double-double of the season and the 18th of her career.

Mighty Mallard
Freshman Kierra Mallard tallied a career-high five blocks at Texas. Her previous career-high was four against Arkansas in January. She also grabbed 10 rebounds against the Longhorns, marking her sixth time this season with double-digit rebounds and the third-straight game.

Three Post Double-Doubles
Texas Tech had three players post double-doubles in the loss to Oklahoma State. Senior Dominic Seals finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while freshman Kierra Mallard had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and junior Ashlee Roberson had 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. It marked Seals' eighth double-double of the season and 17th of her career, while it was the third of Mallard's career. Roberson picked up her first double-double of the season and third of her career.

Mallard Named Big 12 Freshman of the Week
Freshman Kierra Mallard was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Freshman of the Week after she averaged a double-double with 14.5 points and 12 rebounds in Texas Tech's wins over UCLA and Arkansas the week of Dec. 29-Jan. 4. The Dallas, Texas, native had 11 points, eight rebounds, two steals and an assist against UCLA while shooting 55.6 percent (5-of-9) from the field. Mallard then recorded her first career double-double as she had career highs of 18 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks in the victory over Arkansas. She shot 60 percent (6-of-10) from the field and 85.7 percent (6-of-7) from the free throw line.

On the Tube
Texas Tech has 12 regular-season games televised this season. The Lady Raiders will appear on FSN twice, FSN Rocky Mountain (FSNRM) and Mountain West Sports Network (MWSN) once each and the Texas Tech Television Network (TTTN) seven times. Tech played at New Mexico (L, 54-63) on MWSN. The Lady Raiders hosted Baylor (L, 64-76) and played at Nebraska (L, 56-62) both on FSN. Tech was on FSNRM at Colorado (W, 66-60). Tech's seven games on the TTTN include UNLV (W, 75-63), UCLA (W, 72-62), Kansas State (L, 60-48), Oklahoma (L, 72-80), Iowa State (Feb. 28) at Oklahoma (Mar. 4) and Missouri (Mar. 7). The game on Jan. 3, against Arkansas will be televised by Arkansas on the Cox Sports Television.

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:
Haskell/Abilene - KVRP-FM (97.1)
Hereford - KPAN-AM/FM (860/106.3)
Lamesa - KPET-AM (690)
Lubbock - KFYO-AM/KKCL-FM (790/98.1)
Plainview - KVOP-AM (1090)