{"id":111168,"date":"2026-01-05T10:57:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T10:57:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/111168\/"},"modified":"2026-01-05T10:57:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T10:57:21","slug":"texas-tech-opens-16-0-for-best-start-in-program-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/111168\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Tech Opens 16\u20130 for Best Start in Program History"},"content":{"rendered":"

As The Matador Song echoed through United Supermarkets Arena following Texas Tech\u2019s 80\u201349 win over Arizona, Krista Gerlich finally allowed herself to pause.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to just take a moment and look around and soak it all in,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s something we\u2019ve been working for a really long time, and these girls deserve every second of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Gerlich, the moment carried the weight of perspective \u2014 not just as a head coach, but as someone who knows the program\u2019s history firsthand. Perhaps she even stole a glance to the rafters, where not just her jersey hangs, but a national championship banner as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s been some really good basketball teams here,\u201d she said. \u201cI was on one of them. And we did not go 16\u20130.\u201d<\/p>\n

That reality is what made this night different.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been 13 years since Texas Tech women\u2019s basketball even last appeared in a NCAA Tournament. Promising starts have too often given way to difficult stretches. But this group felt different long before the record reflected it. A silver medal at the World University Games in July representing Team USA offered an early glimpse of what was possible. A 16\u20130 start has erased any remaining doubt about what this team is becoming.<\/p>\n

For the players, though, doubt was never part of the equation. Long before the wins piled up or history came into view, belief is what brought them here. <\/p>\n

Denae Fritz: \u201cIt\u2019s A Really Special Feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

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When Denae Fritz transferred to Texas Tech prior to last season she fully bought into a vision Gerlich laid out on where this program could go.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really special feeling,\u201d she said on what being 16-0 means to her. \u201cI believed in everything Coach Gerlich told me before I got here. What we could bring back to Texas Tech women\u2019s basketball. We\u2019re seeing it unfold right in front of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

On this night, Fritz did exactly what she was brought here to do. Shut down the opposing team\u2019s best scorer while being a sharpshooter herself on the other end. <\/p>\n

She led the Lady Raiders with 16 points, going 4-6 from three, but her biggest impact came on the defensive end. Tasked with guarding the sixth-leading scorer in the Big 12, Mikayla Perdue, Fritz held her to just nine points, rarely allowing clean looks. It was the second straight game she held a top 10 scorer in the conference to under their average. <\/p>\n

\u201cI put a little pressure on myself knowing the coaches trust me to stop their best scorer,\u201d Fritz said. \u201cI rely a lot on my teammates to be in gaps and help, but honestly, I just go out there knowing I can stop her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some will say defense is all about effort and energy. And that\u2019s true for most players but the elite defenders it\u2019s about a lot more than that as well. It\u2019s technique and most of all it\u2019s the rare ability and confidence to be able to erase a player\u2019s space without letting them use that against you. <\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, I just take it one possession at a time,\u201d Fritz said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to get up and pressure the ball and make people uncomfortable. Not many people like to dribble with pressure on them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adlee Blacklock: \u201cIt\u2019s A Dream Honestly.\u201d<\/p>\n

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For Adlee Blacklock, the moment carried a different kind of meaning.<\/p>\n

A Lubbock native and transfer from Oregon State, Blacklock returned to the 806 because she wanted to be part of something bigger. In fact on her recruiting visit, before Gerlich could even give her pitch on how they were going to turn this around Blacklock stopped her and said:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m all in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gerlich remembers that moment clearly. <\/p>\n

\u201cShe told me right away she was all in and wanted to help change this,\u201d Gerlich said. \u201cWhen you hear that from someone who grew up here, you know exactly what they\u2019re coming for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adlee didn\u2019t need the pitch. She was coming home to help a program she grew up watching get back where it belonged. On Saturday night it felt fitting she was a key piece of the reason they are now the team with the best start in school history next to their name.<\/p>\n

Blacklock scored 15 points off the bench in under 17 minutes, fueling a Texas Tech reserve unit that poured in 40 points, nearly matching Arizona\u2019s entire team total on its own.<\/p>\n

\u201cI spent extra time before the game watching film, making sure I knew my personnel,\u201d Blacklock said. \u201cI knew we were down a couple players [Sidney Love & Bird Martin], and I knew they were going to need me to step up.\u201d<\/p>\n

That approach extended beyond offense.<\/p>\n

\u201cDefense is our identity,\u201d she said. \u201cScoring is second nature to me, but I knew I had to defend at a high level too. I knew they were going to go at me, and I wanted to be ready for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the night unfolded, Blacklock found herself glancing into the stands, something she\u2019s done her entire life in Lubbock. Only now, the scene felt different.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember when I first got here, it was like three thousand people,\u201d she said. \u201cNow it\u2019s six thousand, and it just keeps building. People love to come watch people win. And West Texas gets behind that.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Blacklock, the one Lubbock native on the team, this one meant a little more.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a dream, honestly,\u201d she said. \u201cMost of all, I love being able to do it with these girls.\u201d<\/p>\n

That sentiment was echoed by her head coach. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just so proud of this team,\u201d Gerlich said. \u201cFor creating some history.\u201d<\/p>\n

But even in a moment that begged to be celebrated, her message never wavered. Let\u2019s not get it twisted, confetti doesn\u2019t fall in January. No trophies were handed out. The best start in school history is not where this story ends.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not done, we\u2019re not done.\u201d Gerlich said. \u201cWe\u2019re ready to continue to go 1\u20130 each week.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Everything Else:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Smallest player, biggest presence:
With the program\u2019s new 7-foot-1 signee Stephanie Okechukwu watching from the bench, Gemma N\u00fa\u00f1ez \u2014 the smallest player on the roster at 5-7 \u2014 once again led Texas Tech in rebounding with eight boards, while adding eight assists and zero turnovers for the second straight game. N\u00fa\u00f1ez has now had five games with at least 7 rebounds and sits second on the team in rebounds per game.<\/p>\n

\u201cGemma is a realy good rebounding guard,\u201d said Gerlich. \u201cShe always is pursuing. She never stops moving and just has a knack for getting to the basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2022 Bench dominance:
Texas Tech\u2019s bench poured in 40 points, nearly matching Arizona\u2019s entire team total of 49. Adlee Blacklock led the way with 15, but the production reflected the Lady Raiders\u2019 depth and readiness across the rotation.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Balanced scoring:
Five Lady Raiders finished in double figures. Bailey Maupin added 13 points, Jada Malone chipped in 14, and Snudda Collins scored 11 while anchoring the interior defensively. Collins also had a ridiculous stretch in the third quarter where she sent back-to-back Arizona shot attempts into the stands and then sealed the possession with a steal.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Defensive tone:
Tech forced 17 turnovers, limited Arizona to 35 percent shooting, and never trailed for more than 11 seconds all night. Once again holding a team well under their scoring average, something they have done in all 16 games this season. <\/p>\n

Next Up: at West Virginia 1\/7 6pm<\/p>\n

Texas Tech hits the road Wednesday for a midweek Big 12 matchup at West Virginia, a quick turnaround that Gerlich made clear will require focus and maturity.<\/p>\n

She noted the Mountaineers, who could be ranked should they win their game with Kansas State on Sunday, present a tough road environment and emphasized that winning away from Lubbock requires the same discipline and defensive commitment that has fueled the Lady Raiders\u2019 historic start.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll celebrate tonight,\u201d Gerlich said, \u201cbut this group has been really good all year about going 1\u20130. Now our focus is on the next one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: No. 21 Texas Tech vs. Arizona Women\u2019s Basketball<\/p>\n

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