The Texas Tech Lady Raiders had to dig out of a hole Friday night, and they did it the hard way.
Down by as many as 13 points and staring at a fourth-quarter deficit for the first time this season, Texas Tech clawed back to beat Auburn 73-71 inside United Supermarkets Arena. Senior Jalynn Bristow finished the job with the kind of late shot-making that flips a game in a hurry, and the Lady Raiders moved to 3-0.
Bristow finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for her second straight double-double, and her biggest work came when the pressure was highest. She hit 3 of 5 from deep, including two three-pointers in the final two minutes that helped swing the game Texas Tech’s way.
The comeback had plenty of help around her. Destinee Hooks scored 13, Ambrosia “Bro Bro” Cole added 11, and Martina Anyango also finished with 11. Rhema Collins made a strong debut as a Lady Raider with nine points and five rebounds, while Jalayah Ingram chipped in eight.
Cole also ran the show, leading the team with five assists. Texas Tech won the rebounding battle 32-29 and got a big lift at the line, going 20 of 33 on free throws.
The first quarter was rough for Texas Tech. Tahys Da Silva opened the scoring with a three, but the Lady Raiders had trouble settling in and gave the ball away five times in the first five minutes. Auburn took advantage with an 8-0 run to build an 8-3 lead, and Texas Tech was staring at a 19-10 deficit after one.
Hooks got the offense moving in the second quarter, knocking down a three and then driving for another basket. Collins quickly made her presence felt too, hitting a three and a jumper to pull Texas Tech within 26-22.
From there, the defense started to tighten. Texas Tech held Auburn without a point over the final three minutes of the half, and the turnaround showed up on the scoreboard.
Bristow buried a three to tie it at 32-32, then Anyango gave the Lady Raiders their first lead of the night with a layup. Auburn answered with two free throws late, though, and went into halftime up 36-34.
The third quarter brought another Auburn surge. Texas Tech went more than four minutes without scoring as the Tigers ripped off a 13-0 run and stretched the margin to 58-50. Ingram helped stop the bleeding with a steal and an and-one, but the Lady Raiders still entered the fourth down for the first time this season.
Texas Tech kept chipping away in the final period. The Lady Raiders trimmed the gap to three early, only for Auburn to push it back to seven.
Then Anyango sparked another push with a jumper and a steal that led to a Cole basket in transition. Cole followed that with two free throws after another Auburn turnover, pulling Texas Tech within 63-62.
That set the stage for Bristow. After a defensive stop, she drilled a three off a Cole assist with 1:49 left to put Texas Tech ahead for the first time since the second quarter. Twenty-six seconds later, she struck again from deep, this time off a Collins assist, to make it 72-68.
Auburn got back within one at the line and had a chance to retake the lead after a Texas Tech turnover, but Bristow came up with the final block to close out the 73-71 win.
In Other News...
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Oklahoma State Can Wreck Texas Techs Big 12 Push Today
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For Texas Tech, the pressure is more direct and immediate. The Red Raiders head to Oklahoma State trying to protect their hold on second place in the Big 12, and a road trip like this has a way of turning into a season-defining test when the standings are tight and every result starts to matter a little more. [Read more 🡒]