Texas Tech handed the University of Arkansas women’s basketball team its first loss under Coach Kelsi Musick on Sunday.
The Lady Raiders got off to a hot start and held off a comeback attempt by the Razorbacks to win 80-68 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas.
Texas Tech led by as many as 21 during the wire-to-wire victory.
Arkansas (4-1) rallied to get within eight points multiple times in the fourth quarter but clutch, run-ending makes by the Lady Raiders helped them pull out the victory.
“There was a point when we were down significantly and (I was pleased with) the fact that we continued to battle,” Musick said. “What I told them in the locker room is there’s a lot of fixable things. We can’t have 14 turnovers in the first half. We can’t miss 8 to 10 dink shots in a game.”
The Lady Raiders (5-0), who entered the game with a 32-point average margin of victory, looked to be on the verge of another blowout win. They gave Arkansas fits with their pressure and forced 19 turnovers.
But the Razorbacks adjusted after halftime to outscore them 41-37. Arkansas cut down on turnovers as well, giving up 14 in the first half to five in the second.
“No matter how much we prep for it or put them in that situation, live-game (situations are) always going to be a little bit different,” Musick said. “Once they settled down and we made those adjustments, I thought we handled it well. I just wish we would have settled down a little sooner.”
Arkansas struggled against Texas Tech’s full-court press from the jump, which led to a 21-13 deficit by the end of the first quarter. Over the first 10 minutes, the Razorbacks turned the ball over nine times and shot 3 of 14 (21.4%) from the field.
The Lady Raiders created their first big separation with an 8-0 run early the second quarter, which included a pair of makes from Jalynn Bristow. A layup by Gemma Nunez capped the run and gave Texas Tech a 36-17 lead.
Arkansas guard Wyvette Mayberry entered the game for her first minutes of the season. She missed the team’s first four games rehabbing from a knee injury, and her presence gave the Razorbacks an immediate boost.
Mayberry broke the press and drove for a layup to begin a decent stretch at the end of the first half for Arkansas, which outscored Texas Tech 10-7 over the final 4:46 of the second quarter to get within 43-27 at halftime.
Mayberry played 12 minutes and finished with 4 points, 1 assist and 1 steal. When she started running the point, Arkansas seemed to calm down.
“This is the first time she’s gotten action,” Musick said. “She just started getting reps a couple of days ago. I thought she did phenomenal. … She is a leader. She can score, but she can really defend. Just having her presence in there is definitely going to be a huge benefit to us moving forward.”
Texas Tech turned 14 turnovers into 17 points in the first half. The Razorbacks shot 32% from the field, while the Lady Raiders made 50%.
The Lady Raiders surged ahead 47-27 less than three minutes into the third quarter.
Arkansas then woke up offensively and went on a 21-12 run, capped by a layup from Taleyah Jones, to get within 59-50 late in the third quarter. It was part of a big second half for Jones, who scored 13 points after intermission.
Jones finished with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-17 (41%) shooting, adding 5 rebounds and 2 assists.
“She’s just gritty,” Musick said. “Sometimes when you need a bucket, she’s going to find a way to get you one.”
The Razorbacks kept the game within arm’s reach during the fourth quarter, but Lady Raiders guard Snudda Collins came up with big responses. With her length at 6-1 and athleticism, Collins exploited mismatches and countered makes by Arkansas.
Collins, who played at Ole Miss from 2020-24, put together a 15-point, 5-rebound performance.
“She can score so well around the rim,” Musick said. “I thought when we guarded her and forced her to the help, we did a much better job, because she didn’t like that. But there were a few possessions where we gave her that baseline, which is exactly what she wants, because she can kiss it off the glass so easily.”
Freshman guard Bonnie Deas came up with big plays in the fourth quarter to keep the Razorbacks hanging around, including a three-point play with 5:54 remaining that trimmed the lead to 67-59.
“I thought we settled down and were able to execute within our offense,” Musick said. “Once we got it in, we had different people bringing it up. And once we beat the press, we kind of settled in and were able to attack in a in a smarter way instead of taking rushed shots, which is what they initially wanted.”
Lady Raiders senior guard Bailey Maupin made key plays down the stretch, though. She drilled a three-pointer with 31 seconds remaining to cap a team-best, 19-point outing.
Jones (20 points), Deas (13), Emily Robinson (8) and Ware (8) led Arkansas in scoring.
The Razorbacks finished 25 of 65 (38.5%) from the field, 7 of 21 (33%) from three-point range and 11 of 13 (85%) from the free-throw line.
Texas Tech won the rebounding battle 41-37 and the turnover battle 19-15. The Lady Raiders scored 21 points off the Razorbacks’ giveaways.
Arkansas is scheduled to host UALR at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The Trojans will also enter coming off a loss after falling 76-67 to Arkansas State on Saturday. The Razorbacks and Red Wolves will face off Dec. 28 in Fayetteville.