Texas Tech isn’t No. 8 in the country for nothing.
In what ultimately came down to the battle of the boards, the Lady Raiders outrebounded Bev Smith’s Oregon squad, propelling Texas Tech to its second win of the season and sending the Ducks their third loss.
With a backcourt that could match any in the country, Oregon knew it had to neutralize Texas Tech’s inside game, especially when it came to getting offensive rebounds. The Ducks couldn’t do that, though, and allowed the Lady Raiders’ offense to get second and third chances. Texas Tech scored 10 second chance points in the first half, as opposed to Oregon’s three.
“We knew the guards could be a standoff, so we needed to take advantage in the paint,” Texas Tech head coach Marsha Sharp said. “Any time you’re on the road, you have to play great defense and get the rebounds.”
The Ducks were unable to keep the Lady Raiders away from the ball offensively in the first half, surrendering 14 offensive rebounds while collecting only three of their own. Texas Tech junior Plenette Pierson victimized the Ducks for seven total rebounds in the half, including four off of Lady Raiders’ missed shots.
“In the first half, they got some key rebounds that hurt us,” Oregon freshman Andrea Bills said.
The Lady Raiders’ rebounding advantage in the first half allowed them to take 36 shots but they only connected on 11, allowing the Ducks to stay in the game.
“We knew we had to crash the boards because their guards were going to run,” Texas Tech sophomore Casey Jackson said. “When you shoot like that, you have to rebound.”
The Ducks seemed to sense the urgency to pick up their play in the second half and grabbed 21 rebounds while allowing the Lady Raiders to collect 22. Oregon picked up nine offensive rebounds and held Texas Tech to only six. But Sharp’s squad utilized their shots in the half, connecting on 12 of 25.
Pierson played a huge role in controlling the paint, scoring 22 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, both game-highs.
“She’s a go-to player,” Smith said about the Lady Raiders’ leading scorer. “In a game such as this, you want to give her the ball. She hit some shots and they are eighth in the nation because of her contributions.”
Overall, Texas Tech held the Ducks to 36 rebounds while grabbing 48 of its own. What really made the difference, though, was the Lady Raiders’ 20 offensive rebounds.
“Our post players certainly have to come down a little bit more aggressively with that ball,” Smith said. “That’s a learning process and we’ll work to improve it.”