No. 2 Sooners outlast Lady Raiders
BY TRAVIS CRAM l AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Thoughts and Notes on the loss
Texas Tech’s narrow loss to No. 2 Oklahoma Tuesday night at United Spirit Arena almost seemed like a passing of the torch in Big 12 women’s basketball, for the time being.
Oklahoma's Carlee Roethlisberger, left, sister of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, drives past Texas Tech's Ashlee Roberson during the game Tuesday at United Spirit Arena. Oklahoma won, 80-72.
The Sooners’ 80-72 win tied them with Tech for the most wins in conference history since the Big 12’s inception in 1996 — both teams sit with 132-71 records all-time in regular season conference play.
That year, 1996, also happened to be Oklahoma head coach Sheri Coale’s first year in Norman, Okla.
“That number is a little bit staggering to me,” Coale said. “… (Tech) has always kind of been that icon that you modeled what you did after and for us to be right there with them in Big 12 history is a huge compliment.”
But she also noted that none of the Sooners’ or Lady Raiders’ 132 wins have come easy, and Tuesday night’s was no different.
Oklahoma outscored Texas Tech 26-9 in the final eight minutes of the game Tuesday night to stay undefeated in Big 12 Conference play.
Tech (14-11, 4-7) led for more than 23 minutes after the 6:25 mark of the first half, but made only 3 of its final 15 shots and committed 15 fouls and seven turnovers in the second half.
Ashley and Courtney Paris took over the paint in the second half, outscoring Tech 20-10 inside in the final 20 minutes that proved to be more physical and better played by the Sooners.
“I’m sure I’ll go back and watch it a couple times tonight,” Tech head coach Kristy Curry said. “I thought we had some poor possessions. We had some shots roll out and some poor shot selection. We got pushed underneath and lost some key offensive rebounds but everyone gets pushed underneath. You have to credit Oklahoma and how they played down the stretch.”
Oklahoma's Ashley Paris, left, and Texas Tech's Dominic Seals battle for a rebound during the game Tuesday at United Spirit Arena. The No. 2 Sooners rallied in the final minutes for an 80-72 victory.
Oklahoma (23-2, 11-0 Big 12) hit 11 free throws in a row to climb back from being down by as many as nine points with more than eight minutes left, part of a 19-7 run that gave Oklahoma the lead for good.
It was a reverse of what everyone saw from the Sooners early on, missing all five shots from the charity stripe in the first half. Oklahoma also made eight of its final 10 free throws to close the game.
Courtney Paris hit 7 of 10 in the second half and led with 23 points and 20 rebounds.
“The thing is people always say how poor of a free-throw shooter Courtney is,” Coale said. “But I would like someone to go back to the books and see how she is in clutch play. She has the uncanny ability to be huge in that situation and convert for us. She did it again today. She was a big factor of the second-half.”
Tech forced 13 turnovers in the first half leading to 13 points for the Lady Raiders but forced only three more the rest of the way and failed to take advantage of some open looks underneath the basket when they really needed it.
Jordan Murphree had a career-high 25 points and seemed like she would be impossible to stop after three-straight baskets in 72 seconds, the last a 3-pointer to give Tech a nine-point lead — its largest of the game.
But Oklahoma made its defensive adjustments from there, sticking the taller, and longer arms of Danielle Robinson on Murphree.
“I think they put Robinson on me, face-guarding me, so that they couldn’t reverse the ball to me,” Murphree said. “It was just key possessions in the last few minutes that really hurt us.”
Tech has two-straight road trips to Oklahoma State (14-9, 3-7) and No. 5 Baylor (21-3, 9-2) before returning to United Spirit Arena for a game against No. 21 Iowa State on Feb. 28.
“It’s not how you start, but how you finish,” Curry said. “Everyone always remembers how you finish. We have to be consistent these last five games.”
STAT LEADERS
OKLAHOMA
Courtney Paris — 23 pts., 20 rebs.
Ashley Paris — 16 pts., 13 rebs.
Danielle Robinson — 13 pts., 3 steals
TECH
Jordan Murphree — 25 pts., 4 steals
Dominic Seals — 17 pts., 9 rebs.
Maria Moore — 13 pts.
Ashlee Roberson — 9 pts., 11 rebs.
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I’ve been Coach Curry’s biggest supporter till this point. It’s time to go Coach, time to go.
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Um…the Lady Raiders almost beat the No. 2 team in the country, and for that we’re throwing Coach Curry under the bus?
Who we need to fire are the literally thousands of “fans” who were part of the mass exodus with 11.1 seconds left in a game in which “their” team played their hearts out, gave an exceptional effort, and caused the second-best team in the country to worry until the very end. Common courtesy, much less true loyalty and appreciation, dictates that you stay to the end. I don’t know that I’ve ever been more disgusted with a crowd.
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Not enough “energy” or “athleticism”!
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AJ, your right and so is Silver for this game. wtd, I wonder about Cury since she was selected as HC. I don’t know who’s fault our decline is, or if a rebound is near. Close games and comebacks are important. Saved Leach an embarrassment or two!
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10-4 AJ on firing the fans who left at the 11 second mark. Was there tonite for a rare lady raider game for me since we live out of town. We were a little out-classed (to be expected from #2 team in nation), but we were never short on effort tonite. These girls played their guts out and I couldn’t be more proud. And that credit also goes to Coach Curry for diggin down deep and getting the girls best out of them. Keep it up Coach – we are just two or three girls away from being a very serious contender with OU and Baylor. KEEP IT UP! KEEP IT UP! KEEP IT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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9 points ahead, 8 minutes to play and you loose by 8. Hard to believe!
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I think the girls played a good game and they fought for it. How about everyone complaining go play against courtney paris. See what you can do to stop her from going to the boards. They played their butts off it just didn’t go their way in the end.
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1. How many missed point-blank shots did we have?
2. How many missed free throws?
3. As always the team can’t play 40 full minutes of basketball.
4. Great defense for a long time, but not for 40 minutes.
Do the above things and this game would have been a W for the Lady Raiders.
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wtd, while I respect your opinion I have to wonder what about THIS game causes you to decide NOW that Curry is the problem.
OK, they led late but lost. But they WERE playing the #2 team in the country.
I can understand you thinking the coach is the problem but what about THIS GAME causes you to go from Curry’s “biggest supporter” to thinking she needs to be fired?
Weird.
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could help but see the sports ticker last night. Tech 63 OU 54 with 8 minutes to play! As much as I hate OU i didnt get too excited. I knew they would blow it like usual. And as far as being one or two players away from competing with OU and Baylor. Not even close 9 times out of 10 their back up bench players would beat your starters. Curry sucks, but please keep her. Im a Kansas State fan and enjoy the bye week when we play you.
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Yeah “Tech Who,” Kansas State certainly sends a chill down the spine of Big XII South basketball programs.
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OK, I am a Tech graduate of 2005, but I have been following Lady Raider basketball since before they won the 1993 championship. I am at just about every game, unless work keeps me away, which is VERY rare and all of my friends know about my love for the Lady Raiders. I was at the OU game last night and was just as frustrated and disappointed as the next person. Should we have won, YES!!! Did we miss key shots under the basket, free throws, and did we turn the ball over WAY TOO MUCH or make bad shot decisions!!!! YES!!!!! But there is also ALOT of POSITIVE to come out of this game. Everyone complaining about the coaching staff, I have been reading all of your posts and what you need to do is step back and look at the big picture. When Kristy Curry took over the Purdue program, it was a National Championship team. When she came to Tech, we were far from a National Championship. Recruiting had gone down, talent was down, while the talent across the conference was way up. I was a very huge Marsha Sharp fan, but the other teams had finally caught up to the Lady Raiders. I can see improvement with Curry’s team. Not to mention, she has a former All American on her staff and top notch recruiter (Bill Brock) who recruited Sophia Young when Baylor won the National Championship. Something I have always prided myself on was being a part of Lady Raider nation with the best fans with the best attendance. Well, if you want to win the hearts of the best recruits in the nation, then you need to show up at the games and support your team through good times and bad. Quit being fair weather fans.
To the coaching staff and team: Keep working and working and this will turn around. Strive for Honor!!!!!
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I’m so proud of this team and its many accomplishments!
I’m so proud of the 25 to 30 minutes they play hard ever single game.
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hey wb tt backer. lets not forget who the defending big 12 champion is. Oh yeah its the team that wears purple and smoked you on your own court earlier this year. get real and know your basketball. Your girls are not good!
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