Texas Tech Women’s Basketball Triumphs Over Houston
In a commanding performance on Saturday night, the No. 18 Texas Tech women’s basketball team triumphed over Houston with a decisive score of 85-61. Leading the charge was Bailey Maupin, who contributed significantly with 25 points, sinking seven of thirteen field goals, including five from behind the arc. Additionally, Maupin excelled at the free-throw line, sinking all six attempts, and secured six rebounds for the Lady Raiders (22-3, 9-3 in Big 12 Conference play).
Key Performers
Joining Maupin in double figures was Jalynn Bristow, who delivered a solid performance with 15 points on a shooting clip of 6-for-8. Bristow also made her presence known defensively with five rebounds and four blocked shots. Furthermore, Gemma Nunez played a crucial role, adding 13 points along with seven assists and six steals, helping propel the Lady Raiders to victory.
On the other side of the court, Amirah Abdur-Rahim was the standout for the Cougars (7-16, 1-11), finishing with 18 points and seven rebounds, though she struggled with ball control, responsible for seven of Houston’s 21 turnovers. Teammates Kierra Merchant and Briana Peguero contributed 13 and 12 points respectively, but Peguero also had issues with turnovers, recording six.
Game Highlights
Texas Tech set the tone early, finishing the first quarter with a 21-12 lead after launching a decisive 16-3 run. Throughout the first half, they continued to dominate, further extending their lead to 44-28 by halftime, largely thanks to Maupin’s stellar shooting, which saw her make all four of her 3-pointers in the opening half. Both teams displayed contrasting shooting performances prior to the break; Texas Tech hit 46.2% of their shots, including 6 of 13 from 3-point range, while Houston managed just 39.3% overall and 1 of 5 from beyond the arc.
Houston managed to hold Texas Tech to a tie during the third quarter, but it was a pivotal 3-pointer from Denae Fritz with seven minutes left in the game that propelled the Lady Raiders ahead by 20 points at 66-46, sealing the game’s outcome. This victory marks Texas Tech’s seventh consecutive win against Houston and builds on a remarkable domination in their historical matchups, with the Lady Raiders winning 28 of the last 30 encounters and leading the all-time series 46-14.
Looking Ahead
Houston had previously struggled this season, losing their first nine conference games before finally claiming a victory over Cincinnati at home. Looking ahead, Texas Tech will host Kansas on Tuesday, while Houston is set to face Colorado at home on Wednesday.
