ODDS AND ENDS | Have you started running as part of a New Year's resolution? Well, luckily, SB Nation has just launched a running blog, Stride Nation.
I am sure that you have already seen this, but if you haven't then set aside about 20 or 30 minutes to check out 2011's best GIF's from SB Nation's Jon Bois. This was one of my favorites, which was former Mizzou player Aldon Smith, now playing for San Francisco, making a sack and ensuring he does not receive an unsportsmanlike penalty:
LADY RAIDER BASKETBALL | I'll say that I was tied up with the kid last night so I really didn't get a chance to follow either game. Either way, you love to see a win for the first conference game. Keirra Mallard was in beast-mode as she was the only Lady Raider in double-figures as she had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks. Here are your details:
TTU 58, OSU 53 Box Score | Post Game Quotes
LAJ's David Just (be careful, there is an auto-play video and if anyone from the LAJ reads this, please don't do auto-play videos when you click on a link) breaks down the game:
"I thought we were a little tight," Curry said. "First Big 12 game. But I thought our experience helped us make plays when it mattered the most. This bunch has been able to do that."
Mallard, who also had a season-high five blocked shots, has 188 for her career, four shy of second place all-time at Tech. The 6-foot-3 senior had four steals, a 3-pointer, and was 4 of 5 from the free-throw line.
Curry called it an all-Big 12 performance.
"I’m just trying to help my teammates out," Mallard said. "If I’m there, I’m going to try and get the block. Lately I’ve been trying to not block so much so I stay out of foul trouble, but it’s hard to stop blocking."
RED RAIDER BASKETBALL | Lack of scoring. I don't know if that's a succinct summary, but from looking at the box score, that may be the case. Here's the details:
TTU 59, OSU 67 Box Score | Post Game Quotes
The team shot 36% from the field and had four players in double-figures (Tolbert with 13 and Crockett, Nurse and Willis each had 11) but got just 13 points from the remainder of the team. I think this is going to be a recurring theme for the team the entire year. Just can't score.
LAJ's Nick Kosmider breaks down the game:
Tech was locked in defensively early, limiting Oklahoma State to just eight points during the game’s first seven minutes. But as Tech began to go cold from the floor, Gillispie said the team’s focus on the defensive end suffered, and the Cowboys sprinted to a 40-29 halftime lead with a number of buckets scored in transition.
"I see too much confidence when we make a shot and not enough confidence when we miss one," Gillispie said. "That’s a sign of mental toughness and that’s something that has to be developed. You can’t only play when things are going well for you.
"They made plays and I have to give them respect for doing that, but it just shows a sign of either immaturity or not being tough mentally."
TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL | Not a lot out there except I did run across this 24/7 Sports article from Barton Simmons on Texas Tech commit Dominique Wheeler, who is committed to Texas Tech, but will be taking visits to Baylor and Texas A&M before signing day. Wheeler's comments are somewhat common in that he's got nice things to say about all of his options and I'm okay with that, despite the fact that he's committed to Texas Tech. I think we should think of some other word other that committed to denote when a player has temporarily chosen a school with the ability to back out of that decision until National Signing Day. Like I said, Wheeler says some nice things about TAMU and Baylor, but I'll just blockquote what he says about Texas Tech:
"Texas Tech just makes me feel like home," he said. "The coaches and players always treat me well and are always checking on me and taking care of me. Also, the way they play. They pass the ball like almost 80 percent of the time and pass the ball 40 or 50 times a game and that affects my position good."