Lady Raiders refuse to lose, clinching 18-0 start with clutch threes and suffocating defense. Unbeaten streak continues.
If you are still waiting for the Texas Tech Lady Raiders to blink, you might want to grab a chair. This group is not in a hurry to lose.
No. 17 Texas Tech moved to 18-0 on Saturday with a gritty 71-60 road win over the Cincinnati Bearcats, keeping the Lady Raiders among the final four undefeated teams left in Division I.
Only UConn, Texas and Vanderbilt can say the same.
Texas Tech’s start is now the best in program history, and it did not come easy. Senior leader Bailey Maupin finished with 17 points, matching Snudda Collins, who poured in 17 off the bench. When the game tightened late, Maupin reminded everyone why she is the steady hand on this roster.
With Tech clinging to a 56-52 lead, Maupin and Denae Fritz drilled back-to-back 3-pointers that sucked the air out of the building and pushed the margin to double digits.
The game itself followed a familiar Texas Tech script.
The Lady Raiders started slowly, trailed 11-8 after the first quarter, then absolutely detonated in the second. Tech went 6-for-7 from 3-point range in that period and outscored Cincinnati 32-12 to take a commanding 40-23 halftime lead.
The Bearcats made things uncomfortable in the third, cutting the lead to 47-37, but Tech never panicked.
Beyond the scoring, the effort stood out. Jalynn Bristow stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, six rebounds and three blocks, while Fritz and Bristow combined for six of the team’s 10 made 3s. Defense traveled. Composure traveled. Winning habits traveled.
Cincinnati, fresh off a win over No. 11 Iowa State, got solid performances from Caliyah DeVillasee, Mya Perry, Reagan Jackson, and Kylie Torrence, but Texas Tech’s depth and shot-making were too much.
One more note worth filing away is 7-1 center Stephanie Okechukwa did not play as she continues ramping up after NCAA clearance.
When she finally steps on the floor, she will be one of the tallest players in women’s college basketball history and a matchup nightmare waiting to happen.
Next up, Texas Tech heads home to face Houston on Tuesday. The record is perfect. The confidence is growing. And the rest of the country is officially on notice.