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Go Lady Raiders!!!
RAIDER !!!! POWER!!!!
Game: Lady Raiders v #1 Baylor Bears
Date: Tuesday, Feb 12, 2013
Time: 6pm CST
Location: USA Lubbock, TX
TV: Fox Sports Southwest (FSW)
Streaming Audio: www.texastech.com/allaccess/
Radio: Texas Tech Sports Network (97.3 FM Lubbock) and Baylor Sports Network
Gametracker: www.baylorbears.com/gametracker
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The Lady Raiders are on a roll. They have won their last two games. On Saturday, Tech beat TCU for the second time this season. Tech started out slow in the first few minutes and TCU took a 2 point lead but then the Lady Raiders responded and went ahead and never looked back. Beating TCU 64-46. The Lady Raiders have a pattern of coming out slow and then catching up and then taking the lead. They need to start coming out focused and aggressive and not having to come from behind to get the win.
Tech is currently tied for 3rd place in the Big12 Conference standings with Iowa State. Both teams have an 8-4 record in conference play. Still not ranked, the Lady Raiders (18-6, 8-4) have not received any respect from the national media or coaches. These Ladies have continued to fight and play hard. For the 2nd time this season, the Lady Raiders will go up against the Baylor Bears (22-1, 12-0) tonight in Waco, TX at the Ferrell Center at 6pm CST. This might be the last time the Lady Raiders play against Brittney Griner unless we face the Bears in the Big12 Tourney or NCAA Tournament is still yet to be determined.
Texas Tech is the last Big12 team to defeat the Baylor Bears, but that feat was 2 years ago in Feb 2011. These two teams will be meeting for the 77th time with Tech leading the series 47-29. If there ever was a game that will push this team to its ultimate play and one in which they need to be perfect, this is the one. The odds are against beating Baylor tonight and Texas Tech was picked to finish in 9th place this season, but the Lady Raiders have not listened to the naysayers.
As noted above, the Lady Raiders are going to have to play their best game almost to perfection to beat the Bears. Tech will have to play a controlled and focused game. They will need to do their best on going to the inside to score against Baylor's Center Griner and the Forward Brooklyn Pope. If at all possible, Tech will need to make their shots count from the outside and possibly beyond the 3-pt arc. Tech has done tremendously well in improving on their Free-throw shots this year and in many games have been over 87% completion at the FT line. They average 68% which is one area they have the advantage over Baylor with a FT% of 65%. The Lady Raiders have also improved their 3-Pt completions making them count over 1/3 of the time. A lot of Tech's opponents have height advantage but the Lady Raiders have fought and won most of the rebound battles and have continually attacked the basket and the boards. Tech has outrebounded five of its eight Big12 opponents this season and had 20 offensive boards and 50 rebounds total against TCU, which is the best mark for offensive rebounds in conference play for Tech this season. Tech is a very good defensive team and if they can play at their best and work cohesively as a team and get into a rhythm like they have, then they have a shot at getting the upset win.
The Lady Raiders lead the Big 12 Conference in total steals with 259 in 24 games (10.8 per game). The Lady Raiders lead the Big 12 and are #15 in the Nation with a +5..08 turnover margin. Coach Kristy Curry is in her 7th season and her current record at Texas Tech is 127-93.
The Baylor Bears have not lost a Big12 Conference game in 40 straight games. They are currently ranked number one in the country and they have the number one player, Griner. The Baylor Center scores 22.5 points and averages 8.4 Rebounds/ game. Junior Point Guard Odyssey Sims, averages 12.7 points and 5.5 assists per game and has a 84.1% FT%. Another player to watch is Forward Brooklyn Pope with 10.9 points and 5.9 Rebounds per game.
The Baylor Bears' Head Coach, Kim Mulkey is in her 13th season with Baylor. Her career record is 360-80. She was the 2012 National Coach of the Year. In just 12 seasons as Baylor's head coach, she attained 300 career victories and ranks No. 4 among the nation's winningest active Division I head coaches (.811) and No. 5 all-time by percentage. Mulkey is a former Olympic Gold medalist and has twice guided the Lady Bear basketball program to the NCAA National Championship (2005 and 2012).
The Starting Lineups:
Texas Tech
G__Monique Smalls___Averages 8.4 Pts and has 40 Steals
G__Casey Morris___ Averages 12.0 Pts and has a 78.3% FT%
G __Chynna Brown___ Averages 11.7 Pts and 5.5 Rebounds/game
F__Christine Hyde___Averages 10.1 Pts and 5.7 Rebounds/game
F__Kelsi Baker___Averages 9.9 Pts and 5.3 Rebounds/game
Baylor
G__Odyssey Sims___Averages 12.5 Pts and has a 85.7% FT%
G__Jordan Madden___ Averages 8.4 Pts and 4.1 Rebounds/game
C__Brittney Griner___Averages 21.5 Pts and 8.1 Rebounds/game
F__Kimetria Hayden___Averages 7.4 Pts and has a 72.1% FT%
F__Brooklyn Pope___ Averages 11.1 Pts and 6.3 Rebounds/game
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The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Southwest
To listen to the game go to TexastechTV (http://www.texastech.com/allaccess/)
The game can be heard on the radio 93.7 FM (Lubbock and on the Texas Tech Sports Network (www.TexasTech.com)
Live stats will be available on Gametracker at www.baylorbears.com/gametracker