Program Spotlight: Texas Tech Lady Raider Basketball

If you keep up with Texas Tech Sports at all, you will no doubt have heard about the basketball program. Of course, I’m talking about the resurgence of the Lady Raider Basketball program under Krista Gerlich and her staff.

Texas Tech finished non-conference play 12-1 and even though they are currently 4-7 in conference play, they are firmly on the bubble looking to get a bid into the NCAA Women’s Tournament.

Texas Tech Athletics

Quite frankly, this is the best this team has looked in years, and because of the positive trend, the Lady Raiders signed the best class of newcomers prior to this season in close to 15 years.

Bre’Amber Scott, Bryn Gerlich, Rhyle McKinney, Bailey Maupin, and Katie Ferrell have led this squad for most of the season. Scott leads the team averaging 17.2 ppg, while Gerlich leads the team in assists at 3.5 per game, but has come into a huge scoring run on her own as of late. McKinney is a sharpshooter from deep, and after transferring to Tech from SMU last year, she fits into the grand scheme like a glove. Ferrell has transferred to Tech this season for her grad year after playing under Krista Gerlich at UTA before she accepted the coaching job at Tech, and she contributes heavily in all facets of the game from points to assists to rebounds to defense, she is a true Swiss Army Knife.

Texas Tech Athletics

Bailey Maupin and Jasmine Shavers are the future of this program. Plain and simple. Maupin, from Gruver, Texas was a McDonald’s All-American nominee, as well as Miss Texas Basketball from Dave Campbell. She led Gruver to a 33-0 record and a 2A State Championship, and was ranked the #14 player nationally at her position. She currently is 2nd on the team averaging just over 10 points per game and if not this season, she will be an all Big 12 first teamer -sooner rather than later- in her career.

Shavers is a transfer from Mississippi State and has made her presence felt immediately. Hailing from Mesquite, Texas, she averaged 26 points per game her senior year earning Dallas Morning News’ 2021 Area 6A First Team Honors. She averages right at 10 points per game now as a redshirt freshman and is a natural playmaker, much like Maupin.

Texas Tech Athletics

Along with all of the names I have mentioned you have even more valuable pieces putting in quality minutes, such as veteran presence Tatum Veitenheimer. After transferring to Tech last season, Tatum is a true point guard that runs the offense smoothly and effiecently.

If you are just now catching on, this team has depth and chemistry. The Ladies are off to the best start for the Women’s Program since 2012-13, and as I mentioned they are firmly in the bubble conversation and are a few wins away from a tournament bid, no small feat for Coach Gerlich.

If there was any doubt before, there shouldn’t be now. This program is headed in the right direction with Krista Gerlich at the helm. As an alum, I know this job means the world to her, as does this University, I mean her number is retired in the rafters at the USA, after all.

If you’re late to the party on this resurgence, don’t be absent any longer. This team is making noise and will only make more in the coming years.

Lady Raider Basketball is back. Spread the word.