The Lady Raiders earned their first NCAA Tournament win since 2005, largely thanks to a clutch second-half performance by senior leader Bailey Maupin.
Bailey Maupin spoke passionately this week before entering her final stretch of collegiate basketball.
"I’m not tired. I’m not done playing basketball yet," Maupin said before her Texas Tech Lady Raiders played Villanova Friday night in Round 1 of the NCAA Tournament in Baton Rouge.
"Hopefully I get to play six more games and be in the national championship."
One down, and potentially five to go.
Maupin's strong second half drove No. 7-seed Texas Tech to a 57-52 win over the No. 10-seed Wildcats.
After starting the game 0-for-5 from the field and being held to a nonfactor offensively in the first half, Maupin rebounded to lead Tech in scoring with 17 points - none bigger than a cold-blooded step-back 3-pointer and four clutch free throws in the final moments that sealed the win.
"The most important thing is to just keep shooting the ball," Maupin said postgame about how she stayed composed despite her slow start.
"Shooters have to have a short memory. I try not to think about the last shot - just move on and continue to play..."
Leading 55-52 with under half a minute remaining in the fourth quarter, an offensive foul on Maupin while trying to get open for an inbound pass gave Villanova a chance to tie it.
Tech forced a miss and coming down for a crucial rebound was the senior from Gruver. Maupin ended the game shooting 4-for-13 overall (2-for-6 from 3-point range) and a perfect 7-for-7 at the free throw line.
"It's an unreal experience," Maupin said. "It's really hard to put into words. This is something that I've been working towards my whole career."
Maupin's senior year now continues after her fourth year in Lubbock has already claimed her a place at the table of some of the best Lady Raiders players in history. She earned First Team All-Big 12 for the first time in her career this season thanks to averages of 15.1 points per game and 64 made 3-pointers.
Entering Friday, she ranks fourth in career scoring, third in free throws made and fouth in 3-pointers made in Texas Tech program history.
While Maupin has made a name for herself with her perimeter shooting, it was the rest of her team who picked up the slack against the Wildcats with the season on the line.
The Lady Raiders nailed 7-of-15 (.470) 3-point attempts and shot 44 percent overall from the field. They also stepped up defensively - a calling card of this year's team throughout the year - by holding Villanova to 37 percent shooting and 24 percent from beyond the arc.
Up next for the Lady Raiders is a meeting with former Big 12 rival Kim Mulkey and No. 2-seed LSU in Baton Rouge on Sunday.
For Maupin, it's the opportunity to build on a stellar season - and clutch First-Round win - to inch one step closer to the ultimate end to her storied career.
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