Lady Raiders ink six transfers

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech is adding more length and versatility to its roster as the Lady Raiders signed six transfers for the 2024-25 season, announced by head coach Krista Gerlich on Tuesday morning.

“This portal class is tough! All of these girls are on a personal mission to be the best they can be and I’m thrilled they are joining forces with our Lady Raiders to pursue greatness together!” said Gerlich. “They have NCAA tourney experience at their respective levels and are all hungry to win championships at Texas Tech.”

Jalynn Bristow, an incoming sophomore transfer from Iowa State, helped the Cyclones to its fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance as they boasted a 21-12 overall record and a 12-6 record in the Big 12. Bristow aided the Cyclones to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament, a fourth-place finish in conference and the Big 12 Championship final this season.

The Holliday, Texas native appeared in all 33 games while making two starts in her freshman campaign. Bristow began her first year in the college landscape averaging 5.1 points per game and 3.7 rebounds per game, which ranked fourth on the team. Bristow played 15.2 minutes per game this season as she shot 47.7 percent from the field (61-for-128) while making 22-of-58 (.379) 3-pointers.

Ranking third on the Cyclones with 122 total rebounds, the 6-2 forward also added 23 assists, 10 blocks and 11 steals to her stat line. Bristow recorded a career-best 17 points against Troy on December 17, 2023, while adding a career-high eight rebounds versus Vanderbilt and No. 4 Stanford in the NCAA Tournament.

Bristow tallied six games this season with a perfect field-goal percentage, her highest being a 4-for-4 performance against the Lady Raiders on January 17. Bristow recorded a career-best six field goals against Troy after shooting 60 percent from the field while adding a career-high 4-for-6 outing from the three-point line.

Coming out of high school ranked as the No. 47 recruit in the nation by ESPN, Bristow will join the Lady Raiders this fall and have three years of eligibility left.

“Jalynn has the skill set to be one of the best 3/4 players in the Big 12. She can shoot the three, run the floor, post up smaller defenders, and her length makes her a great defender and rebounder! It’s great to have her back in Texas and close to home. West Texas is everywhere!” Gerlich said.

Ivana Krajina is an incoming junior guard from Odessa College who helped the Lady Wranglers to a 30-5 overall record and a 13-1 record in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference (WJCAC) in the 2023-24 season. Garnering NJCAA Division I First Team All-American honors and making the All-Region 5 Team, the 5-11 guard is heading to Lubbock after averaging 18.1 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game and 4.0 assists per game.

Starting in 34 games and appearing in all 35 last year, Krajina shot 46.4 percent from the field (252-543) and 31.5 percent from behind the arc (40-127). She also went an impressive 102-of-125 (81.6 percent) from the free-throw line. Totaling 155 rebounds, 144 assists, 87 steals and 646 points on the year, Krajina earned more accolades after being named the WJCAC Player of the Year.

The Kaštel Novi, Croatia native helped the Lady Wranglers to their first national tournament appearance since 2019. Coming into the NJCAA DI Women’s Basketball Championship as the No. 7 seed, Odessa College earned a first-round bye before defeating North Dakota State College of Science, 56-55, in the second round and advanced to the quarterfinals of the national tournament. In the second-round game, Krajina led the team with 20 points while adding four rebounds and three steals.

Krajina tallied double-figure scoring in 31 of the team’s 35 games in the 2023-24 season, with 17 of those being 20+ point outings. She also recorded a career high in points after totaling 31 against McLennan Community College. In the game, Krajina shot 65.0 percent from the field (13-of-20) and a perfect 3-of-3 from the three-point line.

Krajina will join the Lady Raiders this fall and have two years of eligibility left.

“Ivana is a big point guard who has great court vision, a great pull up game and three-point shot. She uses her length really well on defense and isn’t afraid to be the floor general. She’s a great communicator and I love how gritty and coachable she is. Lady Raider Nation will love watching her compete!” Gerlich added.

Texas Tech picked up another transfer in 5-11 guard, Denae Fritz, who is joining the Lady Raiders after stints at Baylor and Iowa State. Fritz began her career with the Cyclones in the 2021-22 season, during which she saw action in three games before being sidelined from an injury.

In her redshirt freshman season (2022-23), Fritz had a breakout year – appearing in 32 games and starting in 31. The Maryville, Tenn., native helped the Cyclones to a 22-10 record, a 12-7 record in conference and a Big 12 Tournament title. She averaged 8.8 points per game, which was fifth on the team, while adding 4.6 rebounds per game, 37 assists and 31 blocks. Earning a spot on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team, Fritz also shot 42.6 percent from the field (98-of-230) and 33.9 percent (43-of-127) from the three-point line. She recorded a career-best 26 points against the Jayhawks (March 1, 2023) where she shot 9-for-10 from the field and 4-of-5 from the three.

While with Baylor for the 2023-24 season, Fritz helped the Bears to a 26-8 season and a 12-6 record in Big 12 play. Aiding Baylor to a Sweet 16 berth, Fritz would appear in 25 games on the season and averaged 8.2 minutes per game while shooting 37.2 percent from the field. Fritz also recorded a season-high of nine points on 4-of-6 shooting against McNeese on November 24.

Fritz will join the Lady Raiders this fall as a redshirt junior and has two years of eligibility left.

“We have seen what Denae can do when she was at Iowa State. She’s one of the toughest guards in the Big 12, physically and mentally. She is gritty on defense, has a high basketball IQ and is a great shooter and finisher at the rim. I’m excited to see her facilitate our offense, make her teammates around her better and get after it on defense. She makes our entire squad tougher!” Gerlich said.

Tech is adding 6-6 center Maya Peat to next year’s roster. The transfer from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff played the past four seasons with the Lady Lions, helping UAPB to 47 wins, 35 victories in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and a fourth-place finish in the SWAC last season.

Over her career, Peat has totaled 692 rebounds, with 237 of those coming on the offensive end. She also added 101 blocks, 62 assists, 52 steals, 962 points and 15 double-doubles in 114 games played. Earning All-SWAC Second-Team honors this year, Peat has shot above 47 percent in each of the past four seasons, with a career-best of 50.4 percent from the field in 2023-24.

In her final year at UAPB, Peat totaled 19 double-figure scoring games with three games recording 20 or more points. In addition, she posted five games with double-figure rebounding including two contests with a season-best 14 boards. As a sophomore, Peat tallied back-to-back games with a career-high of 21 rebounds to earn BOXTOROW National Player of the Week recognition and was the first player in UAPB history to total 20+ boards in two-consecutive games.

Peat is set to join the Lady Raiders this fall with one year of eligibility left.

“Maya is a big with great hands and touch, along with good footwork. She has the ability to dominate the paint offensively and defensively. Her work ethic and personal discipline are what sets her apart from others in her position. She deserves the chance to compete at this level and I’m expecting her to play her very best basketball this season.” Gerlich said.

Adlee Blacklock is returning home as the Lubbock local joins the Lady Raiders after playing the past two seasons for the Oregon State Beavers. Blacklock, an All-State honoree at Lubbock Cooper, saw action in 50 games with the Beavers, clocking in almost 585 minutes of playing time over her career in Corvallis, Ore.

Blacklock helped the Beavers to one of the biggest turnarounds in the nation – aiding the team to a 27-8 season, a fourth-place finish in the Pac-12 and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, falling to eventual national championships, South Carolina, in 2023-24.

In her sophomore stint, Blacklock played in 26 games and averaged 9.0 minutes per game, 3.5 points per game and 22 rebounds. She shot 37.6 percent from the field and 31.0 percent from the 3-point line. During her freshman season, Blacklock appeared in 24 games and started in five. Leading the conference in 3-point shooting with 46.5 percent from behind the arc, Blacklock recorded a career-high 22 points to upset No. 14 Arizona. In addition, her 3-point shooting also ranks second in school history.

Blacklock is set to join the Lady Raiders this fall with two years of eligibility left.

“Instant fan favorite with her coming back home to so many that adore her. Passionate player, elite shooter, but also a 3-level scorer with her high release jump shot. Adlee’s work ethic and team-first mentality will elevate our team’s success so much, but I am really excited to see how high Adlee elevates her own game as she is a special basketball player. So glad she is finally home.” Gerlich added.

Another incoming junior heading to Lubbock is 6-3 forward Sarengbe Sanogo, also known as Sara. Hailing from Créteil, France, Sanogo comes to Texas Tech after spending her sophomore and freshman seasons at Odessa College and Northwest Kansas Technical College, respectively.

Joining former teammate, Ivana Krajina, from the Lady Wranglers, Sanogo aided Odessa College to an impressive 30-5 overall record and a 13-1 record in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference (WJCAC) in 2023-24. Earning NJCAA Division I Honorable Mention All-American and WJCAC Co-Newcomer of the Year recognition last year, Sanogo recorded 11.3 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game in 32 games played.

Making 29 starts, Sanogo tallied 21 double-figure scoring games with a career-best 21 points at Clarendon College. She added four double-figure rebounding games and a season-best 13 on the year, as well as nine games with three or more blocks while totaling at least one block in all but three games played. In addition, Sanogo shot 65 percent from the field at Odessa (153-of-232) and tallied 202 rebounds in her sophomore season. At Northwest Kansas Technical College, Sanogo collected 17 double-figure scoring games and nine contests with double-figure rebounds.

Sanogo is set to join the Lady Raiders this fall and has two years of eligibility left.

“Sara Sanogo is a sleeper in this portal class. She fits our style and needs so well with her 6-5 height and wingspan! Another proven rebounder, rim runner, athletic defender and elite finisher in the paint shooting over 60 percent from the field on Odessa College’s National tourney team. She has a 4.0 GPA with an incredible work ethic on and off the court. We are thrilled to complete our roster with such a terrific addition. The Lady Raiders are ready to go to work!” Gerlich said.

–TECH–

Release Provided By Casey Montalvo Texas Tech Athletics