BY TRAVIS CRAM l AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Texas Tech’s hand is getting closer to the red panic button.

With a two-game road trip on the agenda over the next five days to venues the Lady Raiders have not won at since 2007 (Stillwater, Okla.) and 2004 (Waco), there’s no need for head coach Kristy Curry to mention the team standings this time.

The players are well aware of what needs to happen.

“It’s a must win for us more than ever this season,” Tech guard Jordan Murphree said. “We know we’re tied for the same spot in the standings, and whoever gets this one is going to take the lead ahead of the other.

“So it’s just about not making the same mistakes as the last game against them.”

When Tech (14-11, 4-7 Big 12 Conference) takes the court with Oklahoma State (15-9, 4-7) at 6 p.m. Saturday at Gallagher-Iba Arena, you can bet every player will be looking to stop point guard Andrea Riley. The 5-foot-5 junior lit up Tech for 33 points — she was the only Cowgirl in double figures — on Jan. 31 at United Spirit Arena.

“You look at her and she just makes her team go,” Curry said. “I can’t think of very many people that anybody around the country can’t guard.”

But Riley has not been the only threat for Oklahoma State. In the Cowgirls’ last five games since Jan. 31, Riley has been taking fewer shots and spreading the ball around more with a delayed attack every now and then.

It has not been uncommon to see her dribble past midcourt with the ball and simply wait for the opening to attack the basket.

Junior forward Tegan Cunningham and senior post Shaunte Smith have scored in double figures in four of the last five games, averaging 12.6 and 10.4 points, respectively.

“They’re taking a lot more air out of the ball the last four of five games,” Curry said. “They’re really slowing things down a little bit and (Riley’s) not getting as many shots off, but it’s been paying off quite a bit.”

The two teams are also meeting on different notes this time around. Tech has dropped two straight games to Nebraska and No. 2 Oklahoma, while Oklahoma State ended a four-game slide with a 58-52 win Wednesday over No. 12 Texas in Austin.

Tech dominated the boards in the last meeting against the Cowgirls for the most part, out-rebounding them 47-38 overall, but shot just 29 percent in the paint — with the shots coming primarily underneath the basket after offensive rebounds.

“Whenever you are being defended by a zone, that’s one of the weaknesses is boxing out,” Curry said. “Sometimes you’re most open when you catch it. We were most open on a lot of those offensive rebounds and we need to attack the rim initially better. We were just too passive.”

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