Texas Tech women’s basketball brings elite shot-blocking and hot shooting into Allen Fieldhouse to battle Kansas in a key Big 12 matchup.
Texas Tech’s defense travels, and it travels with force. The No. 20 Lady Raiders head to Allen Fieldhouse on Wednesday night to face Kansas in a pivotal Big 12 showdown, riding a two-game winning streak against the Jayhawks and a wave of momentum built on blocked shots and blazing shooting.
If you like defense with an edge, this is your team.
Texas Tech ranks ninth nationally with 5.8 blocks per game and sits second in the Big 12 in that category. In their last outing at Colorado, the Lady Raiders swatted 10 shots, tying a program record for blocks in a single quarter during a dominant stretch.
Jalynn Bristow is the anchor of that rim protection. The junior leads the Big 12 and ranks ninth in the country with 65 total blocks, averaging 2.24 per game.
And she’s not just a defender. Against Colorado, Bristow erupted for 18 points, three steals and five blocks while shooting 5-of-6 from the field and 4-of-5 from 3. It was her 15th double-digit scoring effort of the season and another reminder that she impacts the game everywhere.
Offensively, Texas Tech is cooking, shooting above 50 percent from the field in back-to-back games, including a statement 87-56 win over No. 15 Baylor, where they hit 55.7 percent. At Colorado, they shot an eye-popping 59.1 percent overall and 53.8 percent from deep.
Senior Bailey Maupin continues to lead the way, averaging 15.9 points per game and climbing the program’s all-time scoring list. With 1,767 career points, she’s on the doorstep of fourth place in school history.
Kansas won’t make it easy. The Jayhawks (17-11, 7-9 Big 12) are powered by freshman Jaliya Davis (21.3 ppg) and S’Mya Nichols (18.0 ppg), and they score nearly 74 points per game.
But if Tech keeps protecting the rim and shooting like this, Allen Fieldhouse could get very quiet.