WBB: ISU at Tech 3:00 p.m. Sunday on ESPNU

[BoxsterCy]

ISU travels to Lubbock to take on the other Tech basketball squad Sunday afternoon. Likely with better results than the men today. On paper we are much better than Tech. Tech is 5-4 and is ranked #110 by NCAA NET rankings. We are currently #32 which seems fair to me at this point in time.

Been a full week off for us because of Covid-19 postponements. We've only had one game in the last 19 days. Pace will pick up with 4 games in the next 10 days assuming no postponements.

From ISU:

Where: United Supermarkets Arena- Lubbock, Texas
When: Sunday, Jan. 10 at 3 PM
Projected Starting Lineup: Kristin Scott, Ashley Joens, Kylie Feuerbach, Emily Ryan, Lexi Donarski
Radio: Cyclone Radio Network/Learfield
Talent: Noah Wolf, Jamie Steyer
TV: ESPNU
Talent: Tyler Denning, Andrea Lloyd


The Lead
Iowa State hits the road again to take on Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas on Sunday at 3 p.m. on ESPNU. Iowa State leads the all-time series 23-15 and the Cyclones have won seven of the last eight against the Lady Raiders.


Key Storylines

• Junior Ashley Joens is fifth in the nation in scoring, averaging 25.2 points a game.Joens was most recently named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25, which honors the nation's top player.
• Sophomore Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw returned for the Cyclones after being sidelined due to injury for ISU's first seven games. Espenmiller-McGraw is averaging 9.3 points per game in just 14 minutes per game.
• Senior Kristin Scott ris averaging double figures with 11.8 points. She is also averaging 6.2 boards per game, which is second on the team. Scott as named to the Lisa Leslie Watch List at the start of the season.
• Emily Ryan is first in the Big 12 in assists per game with 5.9 per contest. She has 59 dimes on the year, which ranks first nationally. Ryan dropped 20 points and 10 dimes for a career-high night against Drake, earning her first Big 12 Freshman of the Week honor.
• Iowa State women's basketball is ranked 32nd in the initial NET rankings. The Big 12 was the only autonomy league to have all teams in the top 126. Baylor (3), Texas (20) and Iowa State (32) are all ranked in the top 35.

 

[BoxsterCy]

What the Lady Raiders say about the game, from Texastech.com:

LADY RAIDER QUICK HITS
- Saturday will mark the Lady Raiders' second nationally-televised game this season, as the team's matchup with the Cyclones will be shown on ESPNU. Texas Tech's Big 12 opener against Baylor was also broadcast on ESPNU.

- In their last four appearances, there have been three games where Lady Raider seniors Vivian Gray and Lexi Gordon have both turned in 20-point scoring performances. In total, the lethal scoring duo that is one of the top offensive tandems in the country has combined for 10 20-point scoring performances through 10 games this season.

- Averaging 2.5 blocks per game in her first four collegiate appearances, freshman Khadija Faye would rank No. 22 in the country and No. 2 in the Big 12 in blocks per game if she had the number of games to qualify. Faye missed the first six games of the season to compete at the FIBA U18 Afrobasket games.

- Gray has done a little bit of everything for the Lady Raiders this season, and that's reflected in the Big 12 statistical rankings. Gray ranks in the top 10 of the conference in scoring (18.6 ppg, No. 5), rebounding (7.6 rpg, No. 7), blocks (1.2 bpg, No. 10), double-doubles (3, No. 5), field goal percentage (.446, No. 10), free throw percentage (.793, No. 9) and assist-turnover ratio (1.8, No. 9). She also ranks No. 12 in assists per game with a 3.5 average.

THE SERIES
- The Lady Raiders and Cyclones will be meeting for the 39th time in the all-time series between the two teams when the squads match up this Sunday.
- The Lady Raiders hold a 10-7 edge over Iowa State in Lubbock, but will look to snap a three-game Iowa State win streak at the USA that dates back to 2018.
- Last season in the two games the Lady Raiders and Cyclones played, the visiting team came up with the win, including a 77-74 Lady Raider win in Hilton Coliseum that was the first Tech win in Ames in 18 seasons.
- The Tech win put an end to a seven-game Cyclone win streak over the Lady Raiders.

LAST TIME OUT
The Texas Tech Lady Raider basketball team battled tough, but dropped a thriller of a 75-74 game to Oklahoma at United Supermarkets Arena on Wednesday night.

Trailing by as many as 12 in the opening half and going into halftime down nine, the Lady Raiders used a strong third quarter to storm back and take the lead. Tech would stretch its lead to as many as nine by the end of a third, but a late Oklahoma run helped give the Sooners the edge as the final buzzer sounded.

For the third time in four games, seniors Vivian Gray and Lexi Gordon each scored 20-plus points for the Lady Raiders. Gray poured in 24 along with five rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block. Gordon added 22 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Gordon scored 18 of her 22 points in the second half to help spark the Tech comeback. Khadija Faye, in only her fourth collegiate game, had eight points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Najé Murray scored seven points, four rebounds and three assists, while Alexis Tucker also had seven points and four boards.

EYEING THE OPPONENT
The Iowa State Cyclones (6-4, 2-1 Big 12) come into Sunday's game after a 74-59 loss at Texas last weekend. It marked the first conference loss of the season for the Cyclones who picked up convincing wins over TCU and Kansas State in December. Iowa State is led by the Big 12's top scorer in Ashley Joens, who is averaging 25.2 points per game to rank sixth nationally. Joens also ranks sixth in the Big 12 in rebounds per game at 8.3. As a team, the Cyclones are one of the top three-point shooting teams in the conference, averaging 8.8 threes per game. Bill Fennelly is in his 26th season at the helm of the Iowa State program.

 

[BoxsterCy]

What our state of Texas and Big 12 "scout" @geewago adds.

Boxster I have watched TT twice this year on TV and once live here in Waco. IMO they are not as good of a team as they were last year. Getting Vivian Grey was a boost for them but it doesn't seem to be making up for the loss of their all Big 12 post that they lost to graduation. They have recently lost their point guard to the transfer portal and it is affecting them. There seemed to be some hard feelings with Vivian coming in and being the go to girl. ISU should win the battle with them. They basically are now a two player team - Grey & Gordon.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Linky to Texas Tech live stats: LIVE STATS

 

[BoxsterCy]

Good start with a couple quick threes by Donarski and another by Scott to jump up 9-0.

Edit: Cooled off, now only 4-5 from three.

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

I kinda like seeing two of our players 100% on 3s. OK Lexi and Kristin are 2-2.Stiil

 

[BoxsterCy]

Hot first quarter. Donarski with 3 threes and Scott with 2. A little bit surprised with so few games the last three weeks but not showing ANY rustiness at all.

 

[C.John]

Getting used to Noah and Jamie on the radio call. The first couple games I wasn't sure about Noah as our pxp guy. But he's getting more comfortable and he and Jamie are meshing better.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Damn it. Hope Scott didn't hurt her back.

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

Getting used to Noah and Jamie on the radio call. The first couple games I wasn't sure about Noah as our pxp guy. But he's getting more comfortable and he and Jamie are meshing better.

I haven’t listened for a while. Hopefully both of them are increasing their game vocabulary and decreasing the “um” and “yeah” and “I mean” frequencies.

 

[Cyclad]

Getting used to Noah and Jamie on the radio call. The first couple games I wasn't sure about Noah as our pxp guy. But he's getting more comfortable and he and Jamie are meshing better.

I think the TV people are terrible

 

[Three4Cy]

Damn it. Hope Scott didn't hurt her back.

She hit her head pretty hard on that fall.

 

[C.John]

I haven’t listened for a while. Hopefully both of them are increasing their game vocabulary and decreasing the “um” and “yeah” and “I mean” frequencies.

The "fillers" (um, yeah, etc) have gotten better. I've always preferred Dr Molly for color work and Blum on pxp but I don't think they do radio anymore and so far this season I've had to follow all the games via the radio call.

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

Third quarter slowdown again?

 

[BoxsterCy]

Scott will not be back. Looks okay on the sidelines which is good.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Kanes in which breaks the postless lineups for both teams.

And the threes are droppin' again. Quick two threes from Rae and Donarski.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Third quarter slowdown again?

Yes, until it wasn't.

And then it wasn't in a big way.

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

Thanks, I can’t be on here consistently and not by a radio.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Donarski with 7 threes. Cyclone record is 10:

3-POINT GOALS MADE
10, Heather Ezell vs. Sacramento State (11-18-07)
10, Stacy Frese at Drake (12-8-99)

 

[BoxsterCy]

Think we have tied our single game three pointer record with five minutes left

3-Point Goals Made
Game: 18 vs. Missouri (2-19-00); Detroit (12-14-08)