The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
13-13,7-8Big 12
Texas Tech
14-12,9-6Big 12
Texas Tech posts 58-46 win over Women's Basketball in Big 12 action
02.26.2006 | Women's Basketball
AUSTIN, Texas -- Senior forward LaToya Davis collected 13 points and nine rebounds to lead three Lady Raiders in double-figure scoring, as Texas Tech stopped Texas, 58-46, in Big 12 women's basketball action Sunday afternoon in front of 7,416 at the Frank Erwin Center.
The loss evens Texas' record at 13-13, and the Longhorns drop to 7-8 in the Big 12. Texas Tech is 14-12 and is in fifth-place in the Big 12 at 9-6. Texas, in a three-way tie for sixth in the league with Kansas State and Nebraska, has lost four of its last five games. The 46 points by the Longhorns tied the team's lowest game point total dating back 159 games ago - in a 62-46 loss to No. 3 Duke in a 2002 NCAA Final 16 game on March 23, 2002.
The Longhorns forced 20 Lady Raider turnovers, but UT shot just 33 percent from the floor, making 20 of 61 shots with just one 3-pointer. Texas Tech hit 41 percent of their shots (19-of-46) and went 16-for-24 in free throws. Texas turned the ball over 15 times and was just five-for-eight from the foul line. The Lady Raiders held a final 40-32 edge in rebounding.
Junior forward Tiffany Jackson (game-high 17 points) was UT's lone double-figure scorer. Jackson finished with a team-high eight rebounds and game-high six steals. Freshman guard Erika Arriaran added eight points for the Longhorns. Brooke Baughman had 11 points for Tech, while Erin Myrick added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Lady Raiders.
Down 31-24 at intermission, Texas trailed by nine (37-28) before going on a 8-3 run which cut the deficit to three points, 39-36, with 15:36 to go following an Arriaran short jumper and a 3-pointer from the wing. Tech, however, pushed the lead up to 12 with a 9-0 run over the next 2:47. A Baughman 3-pointer gave Texas Tech a 42-36 edge with 14:43 left, and an Erin Grant jumper and two Davis layups built the lead to 12, 48-36, with 12:49 remaining.
The Longhorns last best push came when Jackson hit a jumper in the lane to make it 52-42 with 7:59 left. Tech guard Alesha Robertson then scored six in a row to quickly push the lead back up to 58-44 with 4:02 left.
Texas closes out regular season play with a home game on Wednesday, March 1 against No. 10 Baylor at 7:30 p.m. on "Texas Senior Night" at the Erwin Center. The game will be televised on FSN (FOX Sports Net). In pre-game ceremonies, the UT basketball program will salute its four seniors - guards Tamra Cobbins, Nina Norman and Coco Reed along with forward Daria Mieloszynska.
Tickets can be purchased via TexasBoxOffice.com or by calling 512-471-3333 or 1-800-982-BEVO. For charge-by-phone, you can call 512-477-6060. Tickets can be purchased in person at the following locations: Bellmont Hall Athletics Ticket Office (Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m-4 p.m. Central); and at any Texas Box Office location, including the Frank Erwin Center (Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and game days prior to tipoff) or at Austin area H-E-B stores.
POSTGAME QUOTES
Texas Head Coach Jody Conradt
Her general statement: Some days really aren't very good. Today was one of those days. I worried about our team coming off the A&M game Wednesday (a UT loss). I think in our players' mind that that game would be the last chance for us to do something good to get into post-season play. Our first day back to practice on Friday after an off-day was not very good, but we picked it up a bit on Friday and Saturday in practice, and I thought because of that we would come out stronger than we did today. Then, with the great fans here today, I really thought we'd pick it back up, but we missed too many easy offensive opportunities early in the game and that started to deflate us.
Today, you had two teams pretty uninspired out there at times. Both of us have ups and down this year. You always are disappointed when teams don't answer the bell and fight through difficult times. We would get close, then miss a basket, foul with just a seond left on the shot clock. It all was deflating. The bottom line - this is not the kind of effort we expect at Texas, and not the kind of effort which would bring you anything but a loss. In my mind, we have underachieved. Today was probably the low point of that.
The team's psyche after cutting the Texas Tech lead to three (39-36) before Tech countered with a Baughman "3" to open it back up: We came back strong with a run, and we were on a roll, and that (Baughman) shot happened - and then we are deflated again. We didn't have the will and I don't have an answer to why. Again, I have to reflect on what I thought the mood was after the A&M game - I was worried and concerned about our mental approach, and tried to access what to do to get them to get through this game, into Wednesday's game against Baylor, our last home game, and then to the Big 12 Tournament in Dallas.
On the long-time rivalry with Texas Tech, now that long-time Lady Raider coach Marsha Sharp will resign at the end of the season: I don't think we have played any team more than Texas Tech in our history. It's been a rivalry which has survived two conferences. Marsha has done such a tremendous job in building a successful program and a culture which supports women's basketball as well as any place in country. I know the personal sacrifices she has made to done all this, year after year. And, she's done it with class and style. It is hard to see someone leave the profession after what she's done for the game, someone who dates back to the days before we had the credibility and visibility - credibility and visibility that Marsha helped build.
You want some way to maintain how it was then and how it is now. You hope there is never the sense of a loss of history. There is a passing of the torch when it happens with a new generation of players, coaches and officials. Time moves on."
Texas Tech Head Coach Marsha Sharp
Her general statement: This is a really tough place to play, every year. I know our players had a resolve after all the things which happened this week. I particularly thought our defense was strong. I don't want to turn Tiffany Jackson loose, one on one. We knew that we had to take Texas' penetration away to give us a chance to win. You want to make them take the perimeter shot whenever you can. These two seniors up here with me (LaToya Davis and Erin Grant) willed us to win. We knew this would be a critical win if we wanted to play in the NCAA tournament. We knew we would have to attack them all day long if we wanted to do that.
When Brooke (Baughman) hit that 3-pointer (to push a 3-point lead to six in the second half), it was one of biggest shots in the game. We needed a big shot from someone. It distanced us a little bit for us from them. That was one of the biggest shots we've had in a long time.
On playing two days after making her announcement about resigning at the end of the year: I want to say another couple of things about Texas and playing here. First of all, I want you to know how much incredible respect I have for this program and their fans. Texas and their great crowds early on gave us all a chance to do special things in the game. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated those (Texas) fans' response today. We had had a lot of battles. The crowds have been great here, and they are hard to play in front of. But, some of the same people who have rooted so hard for Texas came behind the bench to talk to me personally about our program before the game. They made me feel great today about what we try to do in women's basketball. Overall, it is a great day and I won't forget it, because of the kindness of the people in the arena.
