Just a week after the men's team received a less than hospitable welcome to exotic Lubbock, the Texas women's basketball team (15-6, 5-5) take their show on the road to Texas Tech (9-12, 2-8) tonight. While there probably won't be the same level of vitriol aimed at the Longhorns this week, the dustup between Vic and Tech head coach Krista Gerlich in Austin probably still has some dirt aggy fans heated.
Gerlich was upset at the beginning of the second half when she wasn't able to put the 5 players on the court she wanted to because of a substitution mistake. She was very animated at the scorer's table when Vic came over and the 2 'shared' words. Both coaches were assessed technical fouls. During the postgame, Vic said “You ain’t going to sit there and jump all over my people at the table. I don’t give a $hit who you are.” Gerlich responded saying Vic should have stayed out of it and his postgame comments were just sour grapes after the Red Raiders upset #9 Texas on their home court. While Texas holds a dominant 76-31 advantage in the series, Gerlich is 2-1 against Vic's Longhorn teams. Both teams are looking to end current losing streaks - Texas (3) and Tech (5).
The previous game, a 74-61 Texas loss, was a hard to watch affair with the refs going whistle crazy - the 2 teams combined for 58 called fouls (Texas 34, Tech 24) and 63 free throw attempts (Texas 19, Tech 44). Tech made 34 of those free throws (77.3%) vs Texas' 12 (63.2%). Tech's leading scorer W Vivian Gray (19.8 ppg) made only 5 field goal attempts (5/11, 0/1 from 3) but was still able to put up a game high 23 points - making more and attempting almost as many free throws (13/17) as the entire Longhorn team. The Red Raiders were also paced by Vic's former MSU player, G Bre-Amber Scott (21 points), and F Tayla Thomas's double-double (12 pts, 13 rebounds).
Texas was +11 in turnovers (15-26) in that game but their rebounding effort was anemic (33-44) with both Thomas and F Khadija Faye grabbing 10+ while C Lauren Ebo was the Longhorns' leading rebounder at 6. Texas can't give the refs the opportunity to impact the game like they did in the prior game: DeYona Gaston and Joanne Allen-Taylor both fouled out while Audrey Warren and Aliyah Matharu finished with 4 each. Of the 10 Texas players that had 10+ minutes, only Aaliyah Moore and Rori Harmon finished with fewer than 3 fouls (2 each).
With the 3 consecutive losses to Oklahoma (sux) and back-to-back to Baylor, the Longhorns are sitting 6th in the conference with 7 games after tonight and can really only play spoiler in the Big 12 title race. Any chance of getting a Top 16 seed in the NCAA tournament will vanish if the Longhorns don't finish well down the stretch starting with what should be a winnable game in Lubbock. If Texas can keep in Gray's face without sending her to the FT line, hit the few free throw attempts they will get on the road and box out, Texas should return to Austin with a W and hopefully some positive momentum to carry into the game Saturday against Big 12 co-leaders OU (sux).
Probably an unpopular opinion:
Texas' 3 seniors, G Joanne Allen-Taylor, G/W Audrey Warren and C Lauren Ebo, may be providing leadership but they haven't been consistent contributors this season. For example, JAT played a very good game against Baylor Sunday (18 points on 8/10 shooting, 2/2 from distance and 0 turnovers) just days after a regrettable outing in Waco (8 points on 3/8 shooting with 4 turnovers and 4 fouls). Warren and Ebo struggle at both ends of the court against more athletic opponents. Allen-Taylor and Warren have given a great deal to the Texas program but, at this point, I'm honestly looking forward to the 3 freshmen who will be replacing them next season. 6' 2" SF Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda, 6' 1" G Jordana Codio and 6' 3" PF Amina Muhammad may not have the basketball IQs of JAT, Warren and Ebo, but all 3 are superior athletes with much more length and should more closely fit into Vic's style of play.
@mln59 @thar0902 @wb3032 @icdb17 @BlakeSkaggs
Gerlich was upset at the beginning of the second half when she wasn't able to put the 5 players on the court she wanted to because of a substitution mistake. She was very animated at the scorer's table when Vic came over and the 2 'shared' words. Both coaches were assessed technical fouls. During the postgame, Vic said “You ain’t going to sit there and jump all over my people at the table. I don’t give a $hit who you are.” Gerlich responded saying Vic should have stayed out of it and his postgame comments were just sour grapes after the Red Raiders upset #9 Texas on their home court. While Texas holds a dominant 76-31 advantage in the series, Gerlich is 2-1 against Vic's Longhorn teams. Both teams are looking to end current losing streaks - Texas (3) and Tech (5).
The previous game, a 74-61 Texas loss, was a hard to watch affair with the refs going whistle crazy - the 2 teams combined for 58 called fouls (Texas 34, Tech 24) and 63 free throw attempts (Texas 19, Tech 44). Tech made 34 of those free throws (77.3%) vs Texas' 12 (63.2%). Tech's leading scorer W Vivian Gray (19.8 ppg) made only 5 field goal attempts (5/11, 0/1 from 3) but was still able to put up a game high 23 points - making more and attempting almost as many free throws (13/17) as the entire Longhorn team. The Red Raiders were also paced by Vic's former MSU player, G Bre-Amber Scott (21 points), and F Tayla Thomas's double-double (12 pts, 13 rebounds).
Texas was +11 in turnovers (15-26) in that game but their rebounding effort was anemic (33-44) with both Thomas and F Khadija Faye grabbing 10+ while C Lauren Ebo was the Longhorns' leading rebounder at 6. Texas can't give the refs the opportunity to impact the game like they did in the prior game: DeYona Gaston and Joanne Allen-Taylor both fouled out while Audrey Warren and Aliyah Matharu finished with 4 each. Of the 10 Texas players that had 10+ minutes, only Aaliyah Moore and Rori Harmon finished with fewer than 3 fouls (2 each).
With the 3 consecutive losses to Oklahoma (sux) and back-to-back to Baylor, the Longhorns are sitting 6th in the conference with 7 games after tonight and can really only play spoiler in the Big 12 title race. Any chance of getting a Top 16 seed in the NCAA tournament will vanish if the Longhorns don't finish well down the stretch starting with what should be a winnable game in Lubbock. If Texas can keep in Gray's face without sending her to the FT line, hit the few free throw attempts they will get on the road and box out, Texas should return to Austin with a W and hopefully some positive momentum to carry into the game Saturday against Big 12 co-leaders OU (sux).
Probably an unpopular opinion:
Texas' 3 seniors, G Joanne Allen-Taylor, G/W Audrey Warren and C Lauren Ebo, may be providing leadership but they haven't been consistent contributors this season. For example, JAT played a very good game against Baylor Sunday (18 points on 8/10 shooting, 2/2 from distance and 0 turnovers) just days after a regrettable outing in Waco (8 points on 3/8 shooting with 4 turnovers and 4 fouls). Warren and Ebo struggle at both ends of the court against more athletic opponents. Allen-Taylor and Warren have given a great deal to the Texas program but, at this point, I'm honestly looking forward to the 3 freshmen who will be replacing them next season. 6' 2" SF Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda, 6' 1" G Jordana Codio and 6' 3" PF Amina Muhammad may not have the basketball IQs of JAT, Warren and Ebo, but all 3 are superior athletes with much more length and should more closely fit into Vic's style of play.
@mln59 @thar0902 @wb3032 @icdb17 @BlakeSkaggs
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