Texas Tech opens season with home game against UTRGV
LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech Lady Raiders will open the 2023-24 season with their first of five-straight home games as they take on the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros at the United Supermarkets Arena on Tuesday, November 7 at 6 p.m. Since 2012-13, the Lady Raiders have won nine of their last 10 season openers.
It will be the sixth time in program history these two teams will face each other as the Lady Raiders are a perfect 5-0 against the Vaqueros. Texas Tech will look to keep its unbeaten streak against UTRGV on Tuesday, as the two teams last played on November 25, 2020 with Tech winning by a score of 89-56 at the USA.
The Lady Raiders are coming off their best season in 10 years as they recorded their first 20-win season since 2012- 13 when Tech went 21-10. That was also the last time that the Lady Raiders made the postseason as they qualified for the NCAA Tournament that year. Texas Tech went 20-15 last year in a season that saw them make it to the third round of the WNIT Tournament.
This Lady Raider squad boasts seven newcomers on the team with four freshmen and three transfers. The freshmen include Achol Magot, Loghan Johnson and Kelly Mora, while the transfers include Jazion Jackson (UTEP), Jordyn Merritt (Florida), Elina Arike (UTEP) and Jada Wynn (Colorado).
One of Tech’s key newcomers is Merritt, who was named to the 2024 Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award Watchlist by The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). This award recognizes the top small forwards in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball every season and was determined by a national committee of top college basketball personnel. Merritt became the first Lady Raider to be named to the preseason list since Vivian Gray in the 2021-22 season.
Sophomore Bailey Maupin is ready to build off a phenomenal 2022-23 year. The lone Lady Raider to earn preseason Big 12 accolades after being named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention team, Maupin was the second leading scorer for the Lady Raiders last year and was recognized by the conference with Big 12 All-Freshman Team honors. In 2022-23, Maupin was 41 percent from the field and 33 percent in 3-pointers, while going 88-of-106 from the free throw line (.830).
Last year, senior center Jazmaine Lewis posted one of the best field goal percentages in program history after going 81-of-133 (.609) from the field. She now ranks fourth all-time in single-season field goal percentage. Junior Rhyle McKinney is coming off a phenomenal season from behind the arc after she led the Lady Raiders in 3-point shooting percentage. As a sophomore, McKinney was second on the team behind Bre’Amber Scott in 3-point field goals with 41 and led the team with an impressive 41 percent 3-point clip (41-of-99).
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
In 2022-23, the Vaqueros went 12-18 overall and 6-12 in the Western Atlantic Conference (WAC) for a 10th-place finish in league play. They also dropped their first-round game against seven-seeded New Mexico State in the WAC Tournament, 65-49. UTRGV returns 10 players from last year’s team, including four starters (Iyana Dorsey, Mele Kailahi, Deborah Ogayemi and Charlotte O’Keefe). Dorsey is coming off a great season which saw her score a team-best 447 points (16ppg) to earn All-WAC Second Team honors.
The Vaqueros also added six newcomers in the offseason – Nyajah Mitchels (Tarleton), Kade Hackerott (Central Missouri), Faith Phillips (St. Mary’s), and freshmen Ja’Shelle Johnson, Jayda Holiman and Taylor Meyners. Head coach Lane Lord is heading into his 17th season overall and sixth at UTRGV and has put together a career record of 294-185 (.614) and a 63-83 (.432) with the Vaqueros.
The Vaqueros recently played in an exhibition game against the St. Mary’s Rattlers and fell by a 70-64 score. O’Keefe led the Vaqueros with 18 points, nine rebounds and also had two assists. Hackerott added 15 points, five assists, four rebounds and one steal. Arianna Sturdivant hit four 3-pointers and had seven rebounds and one block. Kailahi scored 11 points with three 3-pointers and recorded two steals, and Johnson had five points and one steal.
FAN INFORMATION/PROMOTIONS
· Doors open one hour prior to tipoff at the Northwest entrance of the United Supermarkets Arena.
· The clear bag policy is in effect for all Texas Tech Athletics events.
· Fans can also purchase tickets online or at the arena (NW entrance).
· Theme: Youth Team Night
· Lady Raider Poster Giveaway
· All local youth basketball teams are invited to attend.
· Face painting, balloon twisting and poster making station on the concourse during pre-game.
· Post-game opportunity to interact with the team.
LIVE STATS/STREAMING
Live stats will be provided on StatBroadcast here and the game will be streamed on ESPN+. Fans can also list to the game in the Varsity Network App.
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–TECH–
Casey Montalvo
