Lady Raiders in prime position
By: Travis Cram-Texas Tech Communications
Updated: February 16, 2013
LUBBOCK, Texas -- Sheryl
Swoopes has seen a lot of different arenas over the last 20 years.
But there was something about walking into United Spirit Arena for the first time in years this past summer
that made her stop and just look around in awe.
"I would have loved to have played here," she said with a smile.
But in all honesty, the new arena host team after team partly thanks to Swoopes, Marsha Sharp and the accomplishments
of many Lady Raider teams over the years that helped make an arena like the USA a reality for today's Lady Raiders.
On Sunday, the Lady Raiders that did it all, will walk on to the floor at the Spirit Arena as a team for
the first time to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their 1993 national championship.
''It's
so amazing to think that all of that really was 20 years ago,'' said
Sharp, the former Lady Raider
head coach. ''I am so glad that I could be a part of this great event
and it really is going to be something else to see all those girls
together again.''
Swoopes,
Sharp, Linden Weese, Krista Kirkland-Gerlich, Cynthia Clinger, Noel
Johnson, Michi Atkins, Patrice
Conwright, Janice Farris, Nikki Heath, Diana Kersey, Kim Pruitt,
Stephanie Scott, Michelle Thomas and Melinda White all return for the
celebration, which will take place during halftime of Sunday's game vs
Texas.
And the chosen date could not be any more appropriate. Feb. 17, 2013 is exactly 20 years to the day that
Tech beat Texas in Austin to help jump start its title run in 1993.
The Longhorns were the last team to beat Tech that season before the group won 19 consecutive games en route
to the Final Four in Atlanta, Ga.
The Lady Raiders beat those 19 opponents by an average of 24 points per game. Tech averaged 88.8 points per
game as a team during the run, scoring 100 points or more six times.
But ask any of the girls, and outside of the championship game win over Ohio State, it all goes back to winning
the game against Texas.
''That
was a special moment for us because they had beat us that season and we
had never won there,'' said
Swoopes, who scored 955 points that season and averaged 28.1 per game.
''So for us to go in to Austin and win that game, it was huge.''
And Sunday's game will be huge for the current Lady Raiders as well.
Tech
(18-7, 8-5 Big 12) is going for its third series sweep over a Big 12
opponent this season as well as
its first sweep over Texas (9-14, 2-10) since 2006. A ninth conference
win would also mark the most Big 12 wins for Tech under head coach
Kristy Curry.
Tech senior Chynna Brown scored 15 points in Tuesday's game for her 17th overall game in double digits this season.
Brown has scored in double figures 13 times in the last 14 games and is averaging 15.5 points in Big 12 play (No. 4 in Big 12).
Brown now has 986 career points and is looking to become the second 1,000-point scorer this season for Tech. Senior
Casey Morris passed the mark on Jan. 5 and now has 1,131 career points.
