Texas Tech upsets Utah women 75-64 in 2nd round of Big 12 Tournament

KANSAS CITY — In March, teams make their own luck.

But what 14-seeded Texas Tech did on Thursday night was anything but lucky against a sixth-seeded Utah team playing their first game of the Big 12 Tournament.

The Lady Raiders were the aggressors in the second-round game and forced Utah into uncomfortable situations all night just 24 hours after defeating Kansas 57-53. The Utes could never get into a rhythm and fell to the lower-seeded Lady Raiders 75-64 at T-Mobile Center.

Utah's first trip to the Big 12 Tournament proved to be a short one.

"They came ready to play and used that big second quarter to kind of really get us on our heels, and we were playing comeback and trying to claw back the rest of the game, which exerted a lot of energy," Utah head coach Gavin Petersen said. "They did a good job of taking away what we like to do in terms of sharing the basketball and holding us to only 14 assists, 8-for-28 from the 3-point line.

"We weren't able to get into a rhythm. And then we gave up 10 threes on the defensive end, which is not something we normally do. But credit to them, they made us have to defend. They were winning the point of attacks and getting downhill, and everything opened up for them. So hats off to them."

Even when Utah had a good defensive series that held Texas Tech deep into its shot clock, the Lady Raiders got a deep 3-pointer to fall at the buzzer, ending all hopes of a Utah comeback time and time again.

Texas Tech head coach Krista Gerlich said her team "understood their roles, the game plan and how we were trying to attack them on offense." And it showed after the first timeout of the game, where the Lady Raiders were able to shift the level of intensity on defense.

"Everybody played their role, and they gave us all they had," Gerlich said. "We told them to empty the tank, and I think they did. It was a fantastic game, and it was really fun to see the Lady Raiders play that way."

It was the complete opposite for Utah, who shot just 39% from the field, seeing shots carom off the rim left and right. Petersen said his team had "wide-open looks" at times, but they weren't able to convert at a high enough rate.

Gianna Kneepkens and Jenna Johnson combined for three early 3-pointers to give the Utes an 11-5 lead, but the team couldn't build on the momentum as it went cold from the floor subsequently.

Texas Tech cut into the deficit little by little before eventually taking its first lead, 20-19, in the first minutes of the second quarter. From there, it was all Texas Tech as the team built up a game-high 14-point lead with 7:16 left in the fourth quarter.

But that second quarter, where Texas Tech outscored Utah 21-10, was the game changer. Shots were falling for Texas Tech as the team played with momentum, and then further challenged Utah by employing a full-court, smothering press defense that undercut any hopes of a comeback.

"The way they pressure the ball, 94 feet, it just gets you out of your rhythm," Petersen said. "And, you know, we had some wide-open looks. If we don't knock those down, then we start thinking about them and then second-guessing ourselves or pressing a little bit too much. That's what that type of defense does, and I don't think we were able to recover from some of those misses in the second quarter."

Kneepkens led Utah with 23 points — 12 of which came in the fourth quarter in a late comeback try — on 7-of-20 shooting, while adding six assists and six rebounds in the loss. Maye Toure contributed an additional 10 points and five rebounds as the only other Utes player in double-digit scoring.

The Lady Raiders did their damage as a collective unit, with six players scoring at least 6 points. But it was Bailey Maupin who led the charge with 22 points — including three made 3-pointer — seven rebounds and six assists.

"Basketball is a game of runs, always has been and always will be," Maupin said. "But staying consistent in all we do, staying consistent in backcourt pressure and making open shots is what ultimately won this ball game for us."

The loss ends Utah's Big 12 Tournament stay, and now the team awaits their NCAA Tournament fate on Selection Sunday in a little over a week. Ahead of Utah's game against Texas Tech, the Utes were slated as a No. 7 seed in the tournament, according to ESPN bracketology.

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