Date: Saturday, March 5, 2016
Time: 1:30 pm CST
Our Team: #9 Seed Lady Raiders (13-17, 3-15 Big12)
Opponent: #1 Seed Baylor Bears (30-1, 17-1 Big12)
Location: Chesapeake Energy Arena | Oklahoma City
TV/Stream: FOX Sports Net
Radio/Stream: 107.7 FM / 950 AM Lubbock / 92.9 FM Waco, TX
Live Stats: Big12 Live Stats
| STARTERS | PLAYERS | Pts / Reb /FTs |
|---|---|---|
| FORWARD | Zuri Sanders (6-0, FR) | 3.4 / 5.0 / 46.7 |
| GUARD | Leashja Grant (6-2, JR) | 7.9 / 6.9 / 54.7 |
| GUARD | Ivonne CookTaylor (5-8, RS JR) | 14.2 / 5.4 / 75.4 |
| GUARD | Japreece Dean (5-6, FR) | 12.5 / 3.4 / 81.2 |
| GUARD | Ryann Bowser (5-10, SR) | 5.9 / 2.1 / 57.1 |
| STARTERS | PLAYERS | Pts / Reb /FTs |
| GUARD | Niya Johnson (5-8, SR)) | 7.2 / 5.3 / 71.8 |
| GUARD | Alexis Jones (5-9, JR) | 14.5 / 4.0 / 76.5 |
| GUARD | Alexis Prince (6-2, JR) | 5.6 / 3.5 / 79.2 |
| FORWARD | Nina Davis (5-11, JR) | 15.7 / 6.3 / 64.9 |
| P. GUARD | Beatrice Mompremier (6-4, FR) | 7.5 / 6.6 / 37.8 |
The Lady Raiders (13-17, 3-15 Big12) had their best game of the season last night and beat the Iowa State Cyclones (13-17, 5-13 Big12) in the first round of the Big12 2016 Phillips 66 Women’s Basketball Tournament 89-84. I am so glad that the team figured things out before the end of play this season. I had seen signs in the last few games that this squad was starting to click and the momentum was building in these players. I have said it a number of times this season, the future is bright for the Lady Raiders with players like Japreece Dean, Ivonne CookTaylor and Dayo Olabode and the new transfers and recruits coming in next season. Dean had her best game yet with 28 points and 5 Rebounds and 5 Assists. Dayo Olabode had 20 points and 4 Rebounds. Adding to the win last night, Ivonne CookTaylor scored 14 pts, 5 Rebounds and 3 Assists. The newest starter for this squad, Zuri Sanders had 13 points and 14 rebounds.
Texas Tech must now face their rival Baylor Bears in the semi-final round of the tourney. The #4/4 Baylor Bears (30-1, 17-1 Big12) are the number one seed in the tournament but the Lady Raiders have been a thorn in the Bears side in past seasons and I am hoping we find away to get the upset this afternoon. I hope that the Lady Raiders play their smartest and most athletic game of the season. It will be hard to shut down the Bears but the Lady Raiders have rose to the occasion many a times and I am hoping today’s game is one of them.
Wreck’Em !!!
Focus on the game at hand
Get the Win ….. Wreck’Em !!!!
Improvement is the word this season.
Lady Raider Basketball win over Iowa State
Head Coach Candi Whitaker in the post-game presser:
Q. “Coach, you guys talked about tempo, sharing the ball, but 43 points in the first half, just five less than you had the entire game last time at aims, just the shots dropping, was there energy? What was the difference?“
COACH WHITAKER: “Yeah, this team, there is no disguising when they’re good and when they’re bad and it typically is directly related to their energy and their effort, how hazard they are playing, how locked in they are, you know, and the tempo that they play with. We can show them, it’s very black and white with them. When they’re in games and competing and playing hard, they — you know, the results is usually — we’re at least in a game if we don’t win it. When we haven’t been in games it’s been because we found a lack of energy within the team and it’s a young team that’s really — they’ve searched for leadership all year long so that’s been a battle but definitely proud how we finished our season, that we figured out a lot of things out, that we figured out we have to bring energy every day in order to perform at the highest level.”
Q.“Coach, you talk about scouting, eating and sleeping. What else are you going to have to do to beat a team like Baylor that’s playing as well as they are right now? “
COACH WHITAKER: “If it was that easy, we would be in good shape. Baylor is extremely talented. They wouldn’t be what they are. They’re going to get a one seed in the NCAA Tournament, very, very deep inside, they just keep coming at you, if you’re going to upset Baylor you’re going to have to shoot the ball extremely well, be hot from the perimeter and make a lot of first attempts because you’re not going to get second and third opportunities in your possessions and you’re going to have to take away easy points for them, fouling them, putting them to the line, giving them easy putbacks and giving them second and third opportunities, you’re going to have to hope that you shoot lights out.”
| – TEXAS TECH – | CATEGORY | – – BAYLOR – – |
|---|---|---|
| 13-17 | Overall Record | 30-1 |
| 3-15 | Conference Record | 17-1 |
| 54.1 | Scoring Offense | 71.8 |
| 70.4 | Scoring Defense | 54.2 |
| -16.3 | Scoring Margin | +17.7 |
| 63.2 | Free Throw % | 65.9 |
| 33.7 | Field Goal % | 45.6 |
| 28.2 | 3-Pt FG % | 35.2 |
| 34.9 | Rebounds per Game | 44.9 |
| -6.0 | Rebound Margin | +13.4 |
| 34.9 | Offensive Rebounds | 44.9 |
| 40.9 | Defensive Rebounds | 31.6 |
| 2.72 | Blocked Shots | 6.33 |
| 9.17 | Assists per Game | 17.61 |
| 7.56 | Steals per Game | 7.83 |
| 16.1 | Turnovers per Game | 15.7 |
| -0.67 | Turnover Margin | -0.17 |
| 0.57 | Assists/Turnover Ratio | 1.12 |