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Go Lady Raiders!!!
RAIDER !!!! POWER!!!!
Game: Lady Raiders vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Date: Saturday, January 10, 2015
Time: 2:00pm CST
Location: "The USA" Lubbock, TX
Radio: Texas Tech Sports Network (97.3 FM Lubbock) and KOKC-1520 AM (Norman)
Gametracker: www.texastech.com/gametracker
Streaming video: TexasTechTV.com
Listen: TexasTechTV.com
The Lady Raiders (11-3, 1-1) had a horrible game on Wednesday, January 7, 2015 in Stillwater against the #16 OSU Cowgirls (10-2, 0-1). Both teams started out with a bang and scored their first points on their first possessions (Tech 3, OSU 6) but then the shots went cold for 5 minutes until Oklahoma State put points on the board with a couple of free-throws. The Cowgirls started to warm up and got a few points on the board but Tech went another three minutes until Amber Battle finally scored a 3-Ptr (Tech 6, OSU 12). The pattern continued with the Lady Raiders having no luck in getting the balls to fall through the hoops for a few minutes at a time and Okie State getting better and stronger and more enthusiastic. The half-time score was Tech 14, OSU 36. The Lady Raiders scored 21 points in the 2nd half and held OSU to 30 points but just had a game where nothing worked.
As Head Coach Candi Whitaker put it in the weekly press conference:
"There is so much to learn from {the OSU game and loss}. I think that their eyes were open into going into a Big12 environment, on the road, against a very talented team, you know all the things that you HAVE TO DO to compete and stay in ballgames. And we have got to be a lot better, obviously ..... the next time we have an opportunity to go on the road and even at home, because every team is going to bring their best and you have to match that and you have to be at your best to compete."
This afternoon, the Lady Raiders take on the Oklahoma Sooners (8-5, 2-0) at 2pm CST at the United Spirit Arena, Lubbock, TX. This will be the 51st meeting with OU leading the series 28-22 however Tech is 13-11 all time for games played in Lubbock and currently Tech is undefeated in games played at the USA this season.
Oklahoma is currently 3rd in the Big12 in Scoring Offense however they are in the 10th spot in Scoring Defense. The Sooners are struggling at the charity stripe with only a 62.5% FT%. While Tech is slightly better than OU in 3-Pt FG% the Sooners are currently ranked 4th in the conference in 3-Pt Defense.
The powerhouse player for the Sooners is Senior Guard #24 Sharane Campbell-Olds. She averages 11.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg and is 70% from the free-throw line. She is supported by Junior Center # 42 Kaylon Williams, who averages 10.9 ppg and 6.1 rpg. Sophomore Guard # 10 Peyton Little has come on strong this season and averages 10 ppg but has had back-to-back games where she scored 18pts and has improved her FT% to 78.6% in the last three games. Sophomore Guard # 25 Gioya Carter adds 8.6 ppg and 3.4 rpg and Freshman Guard #21 Gabbi Ortiz brings to the table 6.5 ppg and 3.8 rpg and is a strong 3-Pt shooter.
I am hoping the Lady Raiders can turn this around and play a very athletic, aggressive and solid game today and beat the Sooners. I am hoping that whatever happened last Wednesday to each of the Lady Raiders is out of their system and they can nail there shots and play smart as a team.
The Starters for today's game are: Sophomore Guard #3 Minta Spears who is averaging 9.3 ppg and is 78.6% accurate at the charity stripe and is currently ranked 1st in the Big 12 standings for 3-Pt FG% with 51.9% (27-52); Junior (transfer) Guard #11 Rayven Brooks had 6.6 points and 3.4 rebounds and is currently ranked 10th in the Big12 standings for Blocked Shots with 15 blocks this season; Freshman Forward #32 Dayo Olabode makes 8.9 ppg and 6.1 rebounds and is currently 15th in the Big12 with an average of 6.1 rebounds per games (84 total this season); Senior Forward #41 Kelsi Baker averages 10.6 ppg and 5.4 rebounds and is ranked 12th in the Big12 standing in both Offensive Rebounds (2.29/game) and FT% at 70.6% (48-68); and Senior Guard #12 Amber Battle who averages 14.6 ppg and 8.1 rebounds.
Keep the wins coming ..... Wreck'Em !!!!
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The game can be heard on the radio 93.7 FM (Lubbock and on the Texas Tech Sports Network )
For a fee the game can be viewed via streaming video on TexasTechTV.com
Live stats will be available on Gametracker at TexasTech.com.