Texas Tech stays undefeated with a late defensive stand against the UTSA Roadrunners

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Bailey Maupin scored five of her team-high 18 points in the final four minutes Monday night as the Texas Tech Lady Raiders remained undefeated with a 63-58 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners.

Maupin also had a big defensive play in the final minute.

With Tech leading by the eventual final score, both Maupin and Elina Arike stood their ground and got knocked down by UTSA guard Sidney Love.

Though Love’s shot went in, it was waved off on a charging call, one of two costly turnovers on the Roadrunners in the final 30 seconds.

Overall, Tech forced UTSA into a season-high 31 turnovers, which overshadowed what otherwise was a solid performance by the Roadrunners on the road against a Big 12 program.

UTSA out-shot Tech from the field (45.1 to 33.9) and won the rebounding battle (43-30), but it wasn’t enough. In the end, the Roadrunners’ three-game winning streak, including two on the road, was snapped.

Driving past defenders and creating space for herself much of the time, Love scored a team-high 18 points on seven of 14 shooting. Kyra White produced 13 points and eight rebounds. Meanwhile, freshman Aysia Proctor had 10 and five boards.

Guard Jasmine Shavers scored 15 points and had three steals for the Lady Raiders. Jordyn Merritt led defensively with four steals for Tech.

First half

Applying pressure on defense, the Lady Raiders held the Roadrunners without a field goal for more than four minutes in the second quarter en route to a 35-25 halftime lead.

Tech’s defense was the difference as the Raiders forced 18 turnovers and scored 21 points off those miscues. At one point in the second quarter, UTSA committed five turnovers in a three-minute span, allowing Tech to expand a nine-point lead to 17.

UTSA responded in the last few minutes of the half, outscoring Tech 8-2. Sophomore Sidney Love made a steal and hit two baskets in the last two minutes.

Kilah Freelon, Ashley Chevalier and Shavers led the Raiders in scoring in the half with eight points apiece. Though the Raiders hit only 35.3 percent from the field, they made up for that with nine of 11 shooting at the free-throw line.

UTSA, by contrast, was only two for two at the line. The Roadrunners were effective when they could get a shot off. They hit 52.4 percent from the field. Love had eight points and Aysia Proctor six at the half for the Roadrunners.

Records

Texas Tech 5-0
UTSA 3-2

Coming up

UTSA at Sam Houston State, Saturday, 4 p.m.

Surging UTSA women to challenge Texas Tech in Lubbock

Sidney Love. UTSA beat New Mexico State 58-55 in women's basketball on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA has won three in a row and two straight on the road. Sophomore Sidney Love is leading the team in scoring, averaging 12.5 coming into tonight’s road game in Lubbock against the Texas Tech Lady Raiders, a member of the Big 12 Conference. UTSA hasn’t won a game against a power conference opponent since 2010. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special to The JB Replay

Winning three of four games by double-digit proportions, the undefeated Texas Tech Lady Raiders haven’t been seriously challenged as they prepare to play a fifth straight home game in Lubbock, this one against the upstart UTSA Roadrunners tonight.

Tipoff between Tech (4-0) and UTSA (3-1) is set for 6 p.m.

In winning a couple of games by more than 40 points, another by 17 and one by seven, Jasmine Shavers, Bailey Maupin, Jordyn Merritt and Co. have been on cruise control since they played their first game on Nov. 7.

Sure, the Lady Raiders have yet to play a fellow Power 5 opponent, but their efficiency has been scary.

Coach Krista Gerlich’s team has averaged almost 80 points, and three of her starters — Shavers, Kilah Freelon and Ashley Chevalier — are shooting better than 50 percent from the field.

Despite the Lady Raiders’ high level of play, the Roadrunners are coming in with a solid base of confidence stemming from three straight victories, including two straight on the road.

Guards Sidney Love and Kyra White lead the Roadrunners. UTSA also has some size in Elyssa Coleman and Idara Udo to match up. White averages 37 minutes per game and contributes heavily on both ends of the floor. Love is coming off a career-high 26-point outing Saturday at UT Arlington.

One of the keys could be forward Maya Linton, who is fast improving on her game. Linton, a 6-foot sophomore, is known as a defensive stopper. But she also has started to look more at the basket and only two nights ago had 14 points and 10 rebounds against the Lady Mavs.

If the Roadrunners win tonight, it would be a major accomplishment from a historical perspective. The UTSA women’s basketball program hasn’t won a game against a P5 conference opponent since 2010 when it defeated Kansas State, 72-55.

Since then, the Roadrunners have lost 20 in a row to teams from the five major revenue-producing conferences. Under coach Karen Aston, in her third year at UTSA, the Roadrunners are 0-5 against the so-called power programs, including 0-1 this year following a 70-55 loss at Arizona State on opening night.

Records

UTSA 3-1
Texas Tech 4-0

Coming up

UTSA at Sam Houston State, Saturday, 4 p.m.

Texas Tech season review
All games at home in Lubbock
Nov 7 – UT Rio Grande Valley, W, 95-53. Jasmine Shavers produces career-tying 26 points, seven rebounds.
Nov 10 – Tarleton, W, 70-63. Jordyn Merritt has 18 points, two three-pointers.
Nov 13 – Lamar, W, 61-44. Jasmine Shavers, 16 points.
Nov 17 – Texas A&M-Commerce, W, 91-45. Tech surges to 29-0 lead and cruises; Kilah Freelon, 14 points, 11 rebounds.