Feels like it’s been a year since we played... Texas [14-7, 6-3] at Texas Tech [14-6, 3-6] February 09, 2020 Where: Lubbock, Texas Arena: United Supermarkets Arena [15,098] Time: 1:00 p.m. CT TV: ESPNU [Clay Matvick, Holly Warlick] WatchESPN Radio: 105.3 FM [Craig Way, Kathy Harston] Live Stats All-Time Series: Texas leads 74-29 NOTES The traditional rivalry between Texas and Texas Tech resumes with the 104th all-time meeting on Sunday when the Longhorns travel to Lubbock, Texas, to take on the Lady Raiders. Tip-off at United Supermarkets Arena is slated for 1 p.m. CT and the game will be nationally televised by ESPNU. The Series: Texas and Texas Tech meet for the 104th time in the history of the two programs. The Lady Raiders are the Longhorns' most frequent opponent historically and one of only two teams [Baylor being the other] that Texas has met more than 100 times. Texas leads the all-time series 74-29, including a 25-17 edge when the game is played in Lubbock. The Longhorns have won 13 consecutive meetings in the series, including a 92-66 victory in Austin on Jan. 15. Second Time Around: The Big 12 Conference is the only Power 5 Conference in which each team plays every other team twice. The Longhorns are officially at the halfway mark, having faced all nine Big 12 Conference teams and holding a 6-3 mark in league play. On The Boards: Success on the boards has been a staple of Texas teams for many years. In fact the Longhorns have tied or won the rebounding battle in 132 of their last 160 games overall, including 14 of 21 games this season. The Longhorns hold a +8.6 rebounding margin, which ranks 19th nationally. Texas has reached 50 or more rebounds in six games this year. Sophomore Success: Sophomore center Charli Collier is one of six players in the Big 12 Conference to average a double-double [Texas Tech's Brittany Brewer is one of the others] with 13.2 points per game and a squad-best 10.6 rebounds per game. She has 11 double-doubles and ranks 17th nationally in rebounds per game. Collier, her team's starting center, leads the Longhorns in minutes played at 30.6 per game. Taylor-Made: Freshman guard Celeste Taylor is a two-time Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Week selection and has made a big impact on her team this season. Taylor is tied for the team lead in three-pointers made [21] and is second in steals [31]. She averages 9.0 points per game and 4.4 rebounds per game. Taylor has scored in double figures in 10 games this season.
Just another brain-dead game by players and coaches Really hard to comprehend how veteran players make such 4th grade mistakes
Well Tech decided to quit playing with about 2 minutes left in the half, so now it's a one point game to start the 3rd. Tech is very streaky.
When Sug and Lashann are both on their game, we are tough to beat. (Reminds me of the Tennessee game.) Joyner is still having problems making the ball go in. It's not easy when Joyner and Charli are both in foul trouble from early on. Tech looking good, a lot of potential. Speaking of Tennessee, Holly is a great commentator. I really enjoyed her insight, and she is very personable. This may be a new career for her.
Great show of perseverance to weather the storm of high energy that Tech started the game with. Guard play was good for us on both sides of the ball -- especially defensively -- and was the key. Underwood's activity helped us out a lot too. Joyner... SMH Nice road win!
Honestly most games it feels like we have two obstacles to overcome - the other team and Joyner’s mood. You are a senior. You are talented. You could be the best. Get it together, Joyner. It’s now or never.
I must say, Joyner is very, very frustrating to watch as a fan. I can't figure out if she's more a victim of the coaching staff or herself.
The most frustrating with Joyner for me is that she still misses so many shots, including point blank lay-ups. I don't see how you blame that on the coaching staff. She just has never really developed the feel, on a consistent basis anyway. Of course, that doesn't take away from her rebounds, hustle, and steals. Sometimes she has a good shooting night.
Joyners career has to be the most frustrating I’ve ever seen..so much potential. I think her attitude is a big contributor to that; if things don’t go her way it very visibly gets to her. It’s amazing to think she has 1,200 career points in basically three seasons with her two missed semesters, and still has never played how she’s capable. Could’ve been a superstar.
On this note, back in late December LHN showed a replay of the win at Baylor in February 2017, and it was almost heartbreaking to see the promise that Joyner displayed in that game. She played with tremendous freedom and with impressive instinct for a freshman. The chemistry between her youthful energy and the experienced leadership of McCarty and Atkins was also striking. She was in better shape than she is now, and she had a great game (as did the entire team, really). There were many plays when Baylor just had no answer for her. My oh my, what might have been. It was just catastrophic for her development that she was away from the team for half of her sophomore year. That was a critical time for her to be with the team and continue to benefit from Brooke and Ariel's leadership. But physically, mentally and developmentally, her suspension dropped her into a rut that, for any number of reasons, she still hasn't pulled herself fully out of. Sigh.
I know. I don't remember those 1,200 points! I mainly remember the misses. I guess that's not fair. I always thought that, with a shooting coach, standing under the basket for hours, perfecting her motion, including the right amount of spin, aiming for that little square, shooting it more than throwing it, and doing it over and over and over would do the trick. I wonder if there is a shooting coach in this world who could have helped. Not to say she hasn't been an asset. She has been a huge asset and had many great games. Just not as consistently as we hoped for.
Just rewatched. Enjoyed that even up 15 with 4 secs left, Karen was still actively up and coaching. I wish that was true every game.
Her main problem is when she can't score on the offensive end she begins to look upset and it shows in her play. Most of that is because her shot selection is not the best and she feels like she has to go make a superhero play to get her going offensively instead of letting the game come to her. If she would just calm down the baskets will come!
Finishing at the rim is a matter of focus... it's done with the eyes. Probably only a sports psychologist would have a chance to help Joyner with that. I do NOT blame the staff. Not having an innovative enough offense for us to be consistently good with the weapons we have? Yes. But a player being such a head case that she sometimes doesn't even draw iron from two feet and in? Nope...not the staff's fault IMO.
It's sad to say that Joyner's best season was her freshman campaign. And to contrast her lack of development, which falls partly on Joyner and partly on the coaching staff, with the development of Brittany Brewer. Especially in light where both players were ranked as high school recruits.
Had the good fortune of traveling to the game from NM, and we were sitting in the fifth row behind the Texas bench. There was a mad dash shot by Joyner in the 4th and her eyes were looking straight ahead rather than up. I commented to my friend on it. I think you’re onto the issue right there. Her makes would likely increase significantly if she just looked up, regardless of what else was happening around her. It was sad to see her getting down, but our fans gave her a noticeable boost, which she appeared to accept, in the second half. I want to see Karen strike a balance in tone when she addresses the girls. I don’t like seeing that disgusted look on her face in a near non-stop fashion. I don’t want her to let them off the hook, kids need to accept their responsibility, but just like a change in speed can throw off a defender, a change in tone from the coach from time to time could inspire this team to perform. Overemphasizing the praise when it’s due—gaging the current vibe of the team—could light them up. My 2 cents.
If Joyner gets to the WNBA and explodes like Ariel did, that will certainly answer a lot of questions. JMO.
