BY TRAVIS CRAM l AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Texas Tech and Nebraska aren’t necessarily Valentine’s Day sweethearts, but for the second time in three years the two teams will meet on the holiday in Lincoln, Neb.

The Lady Raiders barely escaped Lincoln in 2007 with a 70-69 win.

The two teams come into today’s noon matchup at the Devaney Center with very different seasons going than last year.

Tech (14-9, 4-5 Big 12 Conference) comes off its best win in more than a month and is sitting near the middle of the pack in the Big 12 standings, while Nebraska (10-12, 1-8) is trying to survive with a young lineup after making it to the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

Both teams are coming off games against No. 12 Texas A&M, and Tech is finally at a positive point after losing four of its last five conference games.

“It’s kind of like being on a bad ride at Six Flags and then you go ride the merry-go-round and you’re merry,” Tech head coach Kristy Curry said. “It’s up and down and you just have to make the best of each game and not let up – especially on the road with a team like Nebraska.”

Much like the 60-53 win Wednesday over No. 12 Texas A&M, Tech will have to play especially well in the paint against Nebraska’s top scorer, Cory Montgomery.

The 6-foot-2 junior forward has been the catalyst of the Cornhuskers’ offense, leading the team in scoring and rebounding with 14.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

“She’s just so versatile,” Curry said of Montgomery. “She can hurt you inside and out and she’s very smart. She can split screens and does all the little things to help her team.”

It may be another instance in which Tech forwards Dominic Seals and Ashlee Roberson will have the primary duties of trying to give Montgomery problems defensively. Seals was able to shut down A&M forward Danielle Gant for the most part Wednesday, and Roberson was effective against Colorado’s Brittany Spears, who is maybe a little more versatile like Montgomery.

And as good as Tech’s defense has been against those teams, its offense has begun to improve as well. The Lady Raiders had five players score in double figures for the fourth time this season with freshman Kierra Mallard leading the way with 15 points.

Seals is one double-double away from passing her total through 32 games last season. She posted her ninth in the win over A&M with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Curry said the team’s play against A&M is an indication that her team is finally catching on to the urgency needed.

“I think the team is finally understanding the sense of urgency and now it seems like everything is coming together,” Curry said. “But now it’s about keeping that feeling and not coming down from it. We’ve been able to win one game, lose a couple a few times and it would be huge to try and put together two wins in a row.”

College basketball

• Who: Texas Tech women vs. Nebraska

• When: noon today

• Where: Devaney Center, Lincoln, Neb.

• Records: Tech 14-9, 4-5 Big 12; Nebraska 10-12, 1-8

• Last game: Tech 60, No. 12 Texas A&M 53; A&M 86, Nebraska 43

• Radio: KFYO 790 AM, KKCL 98.1 FM

• TV: FSN (Suddenlink channel 20)

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