Coatney's Call: Texas Tech Preview

Nebraska vs. Texas Tech
Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011 - 7:05 p.m.
Bob Devaney Sports Center (Lincoln, Neb.)
Radio: Husker Sports Network
(105.3 FM-Lincoln, 93.3 FM-Omaha, available to entire 25-station network)
Internet: Free audio on Huskers.com

Huskers Close Out Home Stand with Lady Raiders
Despite a career-high 27 points from sophomore point guard Lindsey Moore, the Nebraska Women's Basketball team fell 85-66 to No. 23 Iowa State Wednesday night.  Moore added five assists and was a career-best 10-for-10 at the free throw line on the night. She has now posted career-high scoring totals in each of the last two games she's played at the Devaney Center.  

The Huskers will be looking for continued high levels of play from Moore as they host the Texas Tech Lady Raiders Saturday night in Lincoln. Texas Tech is 16-4 overall with a 3-3 mark in Big 12 games, but comes into Lincoln on a three-game losing streak. After defeating Kansas, Missouri and Kansas State to open league play, Tech has lost at Oklahoma, Baylor and at home 75-67 to Texas this past Wednesday night.  The Lady Raiders have held halftime leads in each of their three consecutive losses. 

Kierra Mallard, a 6-3 junior center, leads the team in scoring (13.5 ppg) and rebounding (7.6 rpg) and has seven double-doubles on the season. Teena Wickett, a 6-3 senior forward, has been a great addition to the Tech lineup.  The transfer from Pepperdine has started all 20 games and is second on the team in scoring (10.5 ppg).  This is only her second season of collegiate basketball as she sat out the last two campaigns.  As a freshmen, she earned first-team all-West Coast Conference honors, averaging 10.3 ppg at Pepperdine. 

Like Wickett, 5-9 sophomore guard Casey Morris also is a transfer who has started every game this season.  Morris  sat out last season after playing in 34 games as a freshman for California.  She is currently third on the team in scoring (8.8 ppg) and leads the team in three-pointers (27).  5-8 sophomore guard Chynna Brown has scored in double figures in each of the last five games and started her first game of the season Wednesday night against Texas.  She averages 7.9 ppg.  5-6 sophomore point guard Monique Smalls  rounds out Tech's probable starting lineup.  She has started all 20 games and leads the team in assists and steals.  She averages 5.5 ppg. 

Fifth-year Texas Tech Head Coach Kristy Curry  won three Big Ten Championships when she was the head coach at Purdue.  She took her 2001 Boilermaker team to the NCAA Final Four and championship game.
 
Texas Tech leads the all-time series with Nebraska 13-4, but Nebraska has won the last two games in the series.  NU recorded its first-even win in Lubbock last season with an 89-47 win on January 27, 2010. 
 
I cordially invite you to join Jeff Griesch and me for Nebraska Women's Basketball on the Husker Sports Network.  Our radio broadcast Wednesday night begins with the Husker Courtside pre-game show at 6:45 p.m. (central) with the tip-off scheduled for 7:05 p.m. on KLNC 105.3 FM (WOW-FM) in Lincoln, KTWI 93.3 FM (Twister 93.3) in Omaha, KLIQ 94.5 FM in Hastings and available to our entire twenty-five network stations.  All Husker Women's Basketball broadcasts are also available for free worldwide on the internet at www.huskers.com.  I hope you can join us.  

Go Big Red! 

Matt