WBB: #17 Lady Raiders play the #1 Baylor Bears Wed., Jan 18,  2012

The #17/20 Lady Red Raiders play the #1 Baylor Bears in Lubbock on Wednesday Jan 18, 2012 at 7pm CST at the USA. This will be the 73^rd meeting between these two teams. Tech leads the series 47-25. Tech won the last game in Feb 2011 in Lubbock 56-45.

Tech (14-2, 2-2) enters the game after suffering their second loss of the season in a tightly contested game against Kansas State in Lubbock on Sat., Jan 14th. Baylor is undefeated and beat Texas on Sunday, Jan. 15^th in Austin, TX.

What's at Stake: Tech will be fighting to get their 15^th win of the season and to pull out of a 2-game slide. I am hoping that the Lady Raiders learned a great deal from the two losses they have sustained in the past week and play their best basketball and beat the Lady Bears. The Baylor Bears will be looking to stay undefeated and to improve their record in the series with Texas Tech.

Comments: Tech has beaten this Baylor team before. They did it last year when the Bears were also ranked #1. The Lady Raiders need to bounce back from their two loses and they need to rally around each other and they need to beat the Baylor Bears. The odds are not in Tech's favor going into this game. If you look at Baylor they have impressive stats all around, they have more height and they have more seasoned players but the Lady Raiders have heart and a "can do" attitude that cannot be measured. Tech needs to create their own impressive stats and break some records and break Baylor's winning streak. The Lady Raiders need to bounce back hard and strong with this game and set the tone for the rest of the season. Tech edges Baylor in 3-Point FG% and in Steals. If the Lady Raiders can play to their strengths and improve on their FG% and especially their FT% then they will win.

More after the Jump ...

Current record: Tech's current season record is 14-2, 2-2 Big 12. Baylor's current season record is 17-0, 4-0 Big12.

Rankings: The Red Raiders are 17th in this week's Associated Press poll and 20^th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll. The Baylor Bears are ranked #1 in both polls.

Players to watch:

Tech: Senior Forward Kierra Mallard is averaging 14 points and 9 rebounds/game and has 39 blocks and 26 steals; Junior Guard Casey Morris averages 9.9 points per game and 3.9 rebounds/game and has 39 steals and has a 86% FT%; Junior Christine Hyde is averaging 8.9 points and 4.4 rebounds/game; Junior Guard Monique Smalls is averaging 7.9 points and 3.4 rebounds and has 55 steals; Sophomore Kelsi Baker averages 7.3 points and 4.3 rebounds/game and 15 blocks.

Baylor: Sophomore Guard Odyssey Sims is averaging 16.5 pts/game and has a 82% FT% and has 63 steals; Junior Guard Kimetria Hayden averages 8.9 pts and 4.4 rebounds/game and has 21 steals; Junior Guard Jordan Madden averages 5.4 pts and 3.4 rebounds/game and has 11 blocks and 13 steals; Junior Forward Destiny Williams averages 9.9 pts and 8.2 rebounds/game and has 10 blocks and 13 steals; Junior Center Brittney Griner averages 22.8 pts and 10.8 rebounds/game and is 74% from the FT line and has 90 blocks

Previously Play: The Lady Red Raiders played the Kansas State Wildcats in Lubbock on Jan. 14, 2012. It was a very hard fought and tight scoring game but Tech came up flat on free-throws shooting only 53.8%. Tech had a chance to win with two looks at the basket and a jump ball that went to Tech. With 6.6 seconds left on the clock. Smalls put up a lay-up but the ball did not drop through and was tipped to mid-court. The Lady Bears are coming off a win over the Lady Longhorn's in Austin, TX on Sun., Jan 15, 2012. Baylor dominated the game and led by 20 points at the half. The final score was Baylor 77 UT 59.

Coaches: Kristy Curry is coaching her 6th season at Tech. (102-75). Kim Mulkey is entering her 12th season with the Baylor Bears (315-79).

Last Year: The Lady Red Raiders finished the 2010-11 season 22-11, 8-8 with a tie for 6th place in the Big12. Tech returns 11 players (3 Starters) from last year's team and welcomed 2 newcomers. The Baylor Bears finished the 2010-11 season 34-3, 15-1 and finished in 1^st place in the Big12. They went to the NCAA Tournament where they lost to Texas A&M 58-46 after reaching the Elite Eight. The Lady Bears returned 12 Letterwinners (4 Starters) and have 1 newcomer.

TV: KCEN-TV (Waco)

Radio: Texas Tech Sports Network 97.3 FM (Lubbock) and Baylor Sports Network - IMG College ESPN Central Texas - 1660 AM, 101.3 FM

Gametracker: www.texastech.com/gametracker

Streaming video: www.texastech.com/allaccess/ (~ $10/month)

Game Thread will go up at 6:45pm CST on Wednesday, Jan 18, 2012

Other Notes:

The Big 12 is the only league in which every team currently has a winning record.

The Lady Raiders are the second-highest scoring team in the Big 12 (75.2), are second in turnover margin (+4.38) and lead the league in steals (13.4) and offensive rebounds (18.63).

Texas Tech is #13 on the "All-Time Winningest Teams in NCAA Div 1" list.

Texas Tech vs. Baylor Series Breakdown:

Series: Texas Tech leads, 47-25

In Waco: Texas Tech leads, 20-11

In Lubbock: Texas Tech leads, 25-7

Neutral: Baylor leads, 7-2

Mulkey: 17-8 vs. Texas Tech

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