Lubbock, Texas ? Texas Tech opened the second half with a huge run and went on to a 68-51 Big 12 women’s basketball victory over Kansas University on Sunday.
KU led, 32-31, at halftime, but the Red Raiders went on a 21-6 run out of the break.
The Raiders (16-10 overall, 4-8 Big 12) dominated the offensive glass, outrebounding Kansas 21-15, which TTU turned into 20 points. The Jayhawks (15-10, 5-7) were also plagued by foul trouble, as senior Sade Morris and freshmen Carolyn Davis and Monica Engelman were forced to sit for several minutes at the start of the second period, during which time the Raiders scored seven straight points to take a 41-36 lead at the 13:21 mark.
Tech scored 11 points over the next five minutes to extend the lead to double digits at 52-38.
It was Tech’s 11th straight victory over the Jayhawks.
Engelman led KU with 18 points, but struggled from beyond the arc, converting one one of her eight three-point attempts. Sophomore forward Aishah Sutherland recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Texas Tech had three players in double figures, including senior guard Jordan Murphee, who led all scorers with 20. Senior forward Ashlee Roberson added 13 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore center Kierra Mallard chipped in 10 points.
Both teams struggled to score in the opening minutes of the contest, as both teams shot below 40 percent through nine minutes of play. After starting 3-of-10 from the field, KU began to find its stroke and buried 10 of its next 16 shots to take its biggest lead of the half at 28-20 with 4:22 remaining. Engelman contributed nine points during the run, including an acrobatic block on the defensive end, followed immediately by a reverse lay-up through traffic on the other end of the floor.
KU will play host to Iowa State on Thursday. Tipoff is 6 p.m.
