Defensive efforts generated offense Sunday for Texas Tech women’s basketball en route to an 80-68 victory over the University of Arkansas at the United Supermarkets Arena.
Arkansas entered the weekend bout averaging 12 turnovers per game, and by halftime, Tech had already forced 14. Twenty-six percent of the Red Raiders’ points by the end of the afternoon came off a turnover.
The Razorbacks’ pace of play forced a majority of the dribbling mistakes, but Tech head coach Krista Gerlich called for double teams through all four quarters. Tech’s rotating guards doubled Arkansas’ point guard as early as the half-court line.
“If they got past us, we were trying to wall up on them and make them take tough two’s,” Gerlich said. “I thought we did that really well.”
Of the rotating guards, seniors Bailey Maupin and Gemma Nunez forced multiple turnovers off an offensive charge. Despite being smaller, Maupin and Nunez planted their feet as an Arkansas ballhandler drove into the paint and took the charge.
The United Supermarkets Arena hosted its largest crowd of the season for women’s basketball, which included the 1993 National Championship team, and with each charge came an eruption of cheers.
“if you’re a competitor, it just comes naturally,” Gerlich said of her players looking for a charge.
Arkansas repeatedly attacked the paint within the first 10 seconds of the shot clock to little avail. However, the strategy led to a majority of Tech’s 17 fouls. Both head coaches voiced frustration with officials during these plays.
Razorback head coach Kelsi Musick believed her players were fouled on more layup attempts than the officials called, while Gerlich voiced that Arkansas players traveled on the attempts.
Tech had a two-minute cold spell in the third quarter, when Arkansas went on a 7-0 run, but consecutive 20-point quarters in the first half for Tech protected the lead. The Razorbacks got within single digits for the first time since the opening period during the stretch.
Maupin had 13 second-half points to aid in Tech ultimately claiming its fifth consecutive win.
“They put their foot on the gas and kind of took off and then, and then we kind of let them sneak back in a little bit, here and there,” Gerlich said. “But I never thought we lost control.”
The Lady Raiders will return at 6 p.m. Thursday to face Mississippi State University for the final home game of their six-game slate before traveling to New Mexico.