Lady Raiders Drop Three Overtime Heartbreaker to OSU
LUBBOCK, Texas — The Texas Tech Lady Raiders dropped a triple-overtime heartbreaker, 92-80 to Oklahoma State, Saturday afternoon at United Supermarkets Arena.
On senior day, Texas Tech (16-11, 4-10 Big 12) received 58 of its 80 points from seniors Bre’Amber Scott, Katie Ferrell and Bryn Gerlich. Battling through an early injury, Scott was sensational on Saturday, scoring 18 of her game-high 30 in the final three sessions.
Ferrell was strong early for Tech scoring 11 of her 15 in the first half. Both players finished with a double-double as Scott grabbed a game-high 11 boards while Ferrell recorded 10 for her first double-double in a Lady Raider uniform.
In the 55-minute affair, Gerlich played 50 minutes and 13 seconds with Ferrell right behind at 48 minutes and 46 seconds. Scott played 39:33 on Saturday, while guard Rhyle McKinney also played 38 minutes. McKinney scored 14 points, nine of which came in the first half.
Gerlich was strong late, scoring seven of her 13 points in the three extra sessions.
Tech was plagued by uncharacteristic off night from distance. The Lady Raiders shot just 4-of-18 from three, as players not named McKinney shot just 2-of-16.
For the Cowgirls (19-7, 9-5 Big 12) guard Naomie Alnatas scored 28 points in 49 minutes of action while guard Lexy Keys dropped 16 points, 11 of which came in the three OT sessions.
In the three overtime sessions, OSU shot 11-20 (55 percent) from the floor, 3-of-6 from 3-point range and 12-of-14 from the line (85.7 percent), as the Lady Raiders were outscored 16-4 in the final overtime session.
Today’s loss snaps an 11-game winning streak for head coach Krista Gerlich in OT games. The former Lady Raider had won her final seven OT games at UTA and her first four at Texas Tech.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Lady Raiders started slowly on senior day, as OSU led 5-0 with 5:28 to play in the opening quarter.
A driving layup by Scott after a perfect baseball pass from Ferrell broke the ice for Tech with 5:27 to play in the opening quarter.
OSU scored eight of the next 11 points to take a 13-5 lead with 3:53 to play in the period.
Behind five quick points from McKinney, Tech pulled to within 15-12 with 62 seconds left in the quarter, but OSU scored the final bucket to take a 17-12 lead into the second.
Tech used a driving layup from McKinney to score the first six points of the second quarter. The 6-0 run gave the Lady Raiders their first lead at 18-17.
McKinney’s strong first half continued when she used a layup to give Tech its largest lead of the first half (22-19). The bucket capped a 10-2 run.
OSU answered with a jumper from Alnatas, but a pair of Ferrell free throws, gave Tech a 24-21 lead with 3:37 left in the half.
Over the final three and a half minutes, OSU outscored Tech 10-4, taking a 31-28 lead into the break.
In the third OSU scored the first four points and six of the first eight to take a 37-30 lead with 8:25 to play in the period.
Tech used five quick points from McKinney to score the next nine points. The 9-0 run gave the Lady Raiders a 39-37 lead with 5:48 to play in the third.
OSU and Tech traded the next four points, as Tech lead 41-39 with 4:06 to play in the third. OSU quickly answered with an 8-0 run to take a 47-41 lead with 10:59 left in the game.
A pair of Kilah Freelon free throws with 1.5 seconds to play in the third quarter, cut Tech’s deficit to 47-43.
The Cowgirls opened the fourth quarter with six of the first 11 points to take a 54-48 lead, but Tech used five quick points from Scott to close a 6-0 run.
The outburst gave Tech a 55-54 lead with 1:44 to play.
After forcing a stop with 1:18 to play, Scott missed a three pointer with 55 seconds to play. Freshman Bailey Maupin grabbed a clutch offensive rebound with 52 seconds left giving Tech a second life.
Just 16 seconds later, OSU caught a break, when Gerlich was whistled for an intentional foul on Lior Garzon. The call gave OSU a pair of free throws and possession of the ball.
Garzon missed the first free throw, but made the second, to tie the game at 55.
Tech forced a shot clock violation with 6.4 seconds to go in regulation, but missed a turnaround jumper as time expired, sending the game to OT.
OSU scored the first eight points of the overtime and 10 of the first 14 points to take a 67-59 lead.
As has been a trademark for the Lady Raider team this season, the group did not quit, using a triple from Gerlich and a defensive stop to get possession of the ball back with 1:34 to play.
Down 67-62, Scott exploded down the lane, hitting an acrobatic layup as she was fouled. The and-one cut the OSU lead to 67-65 with 92 ticks left in the opening overtime.
On the ensuing OSU possession, Tech forced a miss from the Cowgirls to get possession of the ball back. The stop proved to be key, as Tech used a pair of free throws by Scott to close the 8-0 run and tie the game at 67-all.
The Lady Raiders forced another miss with 32 seconds to play, but ultimately turned the ball over after Scott got trapped at the top of the 3-point arc.
With four seconds to play, Milton wildly pulled up from half court, ringing a shot off the backboard.
The ball was scooped up by Scott with two seconds to go, but her half court heave also fell short.
OSU again started strong in the second overtime, using an and-one by former Gerlich signee Claire Chastain to take a 70-67 lead. Chastain, who didn’t play in the first game due to injury, finished with 17 points and six rebounds.
Tech responded, using nine straight points from Scott to take a 76-72 lead with 2:35 to play. The final three points for Scott came on an and-one that gave her 30 points for the second time this season.
OSU quickly answered with a layup from Chastian, and after a defensive stop used another layup from Alnatas to tie the game at 76-76 with 1:32 to go in double-OT.
Tech and OSU traded misses on the next two possessions, as the Lady Raiders had possession with 41 seconds to play.
On the ensuing possession, the Lady Raiders got in trapped, forcing coach Gerlich to call her final timeout.
Out of the timeout, the head coach drew up the perfect play for her daughter Bryn, who saw a patented 14-foot jumper from the middle of the paint roll around the rim, down and out. OSU grabbed the defensive rebound and called timeout with 11 seconds to play.
After advancing the ball, Chastain was trapped near the free throw extended, and wildly flipped a pass that found Anna Gret Asi in the corner with under two seconds left. The Stanford transfer drove baseline and could not get off a shot before the game clock expired.
In the third and final overtime OSU scored the first nine points, holding Tech scoreless over the first three minutes and 22 seconds.
The 9-0 run gave the Cowgirls a commanding 85-76 lead with 1:38 to play in the third extra session.
Tech closed to seven twice in the third overtime, using a pair of Gerlich free throws to get to within 87-80, but OSU made six of its final seven attempts to close out a 92-80 win.
The loss was Tech’s fourth in-a-row overall and the eighth consecutive to OSU.
HEAD COACH KRISTA GERLICH:
“That was a heartbreaker. We’ve been asking our kids to empty the tank all year, and they did that tonight. We couldn’t have asked them to play any harder. They played their hearts out. They did as much as they could. I hate that they couldn’t get it done. They were down by 9 in the first overtime and came back and tied it up. They just fought like hell. I hate that I couldn’t help them more at the end of the game, the end of overtimes, to try to help them to get an easier bucket or get to the free-throw line. But this was a courageous performance by Bre’Amber. I think at the scoreboard in the second half, maybe even in the fourth quarter and I think she had six points. The next time I looked up there she had 25. So, what a performance by her. Katie Ferrell to have a double-double was fantastic. I’m just looking at her going 7-for-7 from the free-throw line, that’s a shocker. It’s just fantastic. I thought Bryn played through a whole lot of contact all night long and didn’t get much respect. For her to shoot only two free throws, when she shot only three shots outside of the paint, is pretty rough. She’s kicking herself for the last intentional foul. We thought she was fouled. I thought Ella didn’t get very many minutes, but she came in and got a couple offensive boards that helped us early. That was just a matchup problem for her, to be able to come in and defend on the perimeter. They were playing a lot of five guards and five shooter lineups. Tatum [Veitenheimer] gave us some really good minutes and was solid. I’m just really proud of those five seniors. It was nice to see Rhyle come back and score like she did. She looked like old Rhyle today. I just can’t say enough about our seniors and how hard they played. They left it all out on the floor and I know that everybody in the stands were so proud of them and wanted them to win just as badly as they did. I appreciate everybody coming out and supporting them. Luckily, it’s not our last game at home, it’s not our last game period. So, we’re going to keep picking ourselves back up, and keep fighting, because that’s what Lady Raiders do.”
ON THE FIVE SENIORS:
“They have been instrumental, and they are the livelihood of our program to be honest. They’re all transfers. They chose to come to Texas Tech knowing that we were rebuilding. So, they weren’t trying to come in and play for a team that was going to win a conference championship or even play in the NCAA tournament. They knew they were going to have to come in and help us rebuild, and they chose to do that. I think they chose Tech for the experience, the family, and the relationships we have with them. They believe in what we’re trying to do at Texas Tech. They love Lady Raider Nation and Texas Tech. I think you can see that by how hard they played. But I think they’re super impactful. They’re laying the foundation for how we expect Lady Raider to compete and fight. But they’re not done. They’re definitely not done yet. We’re in a difficult stretch here, but I still believe in them and still choose them. I know they’re going to continue to fight and rise up. I know our underclassman love them tremendously and are trying to follow their example.”
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
• Scott recorded her second 30 point game of the season, becoming the first Lady Raider since Vivian Gray to record multiple 30 point games in a season.
• In fact, Scott is one of just five Lady Raiders since 2000 (Brittney Brewer, Vivian Gray, Lexi Gordon, Scott) to have multiple 30 point games in a season.
• In the history of Lady Raider Basketball, 14 players have recorded multiple 30 point games in a season.
• The final field goal by a player not named Scott or Gerlich came with 5:48 to play in the third quarter.
• Gerlich and Scott scored Tech’s final 30 points of the game.
• Tech made 24-of-26 from the line tonight. The Lady Raiders are now 6-2 when making more than 20 in a game.
• OSU did score 40 paint points, meaning the Lady Raiders are 0-8 in B12 play when a team scores 40 in the paint.
• The two teams each grabbed 41 rebounds.
• It’s the first time Tech grabbed 40 rebounds in Big 12 play.
• Entering today Tech was 4-0 when grabbing 40 rebounds.
• The Lady Raiders had just three assists on 26 made baskets.
UP NEXT:
Tech plays its penultimate home game of the regular season on Wednesday night when the Mountaineers of West Virginia come to town. Tip-off from the USA is set for 7 p.m.
–TECH–
Release provided by Andrew Stern Texas Tech Athletics
