LUBBOCK, Texas �€" Jenny Hardin
(Claremore, Okla.) scored a career-high 27 points while
Elisha Turek (Council Bluffs, Iowa) recorded her
40th career double-double; but it wasn�€™t enough
for ORU Thursday night as they dropped a 79-67 decision at Texas
Tech.
The Golden Eagles (6-3) led throughout most of the first 28 minutes
of action �€" including a 44-40 advantage with 16:48 to
play �€" but the Lady Raiders (8-3) used a 16-3 run
half way through the second half to take a 64-53 lead they would
not relinquish.
Hardin registered her game-high 27 points on an effective 9-of-13
shooting, including a 3-of-4 effort from long range. The sophomore
also added four rebounds and a pair of assists in 35 minutes of
work.
The game went back and forth through the early going before the
Lady Raiders began to open things up with a 24-19 lead. ORU came
right back, however, as Katie Langford (Arthurton,
Australia) hit a three and Mariana Camargo
(Blumenau, Brazil) connected on a fifteen footer on back-to-back
possessions to tie the game at 24 a piece.
The two teams continued to trade baskets until Camargo found Turek
between a pair of defenders for an easy two to pull the Golden
Eagles within 40-39 at the half.
Both ORU and Texas Tech shot extremely well in the first half, as
the Golden Eagles went into the locker room shooting 66.7 percent
(16-24) from the field while the Lady Raiders followed suit at 61.3
percent (19-31).
ORU opened the second stanza by scoring the first five points and
opening up a 44-40 advantage. A Hardin free throw would later put
the Golden Eagles up 50-48 with 12:29 to play �€" a
lead that would be their last of the night.
Texas Tech momentum started to roll when a Chesley Dabbs jumper
tied things up at 50-50, sparking the decisive 16-3 run for Lady
Raiders. The home side pushed their lead to as many as 13 points at
76-63 and 78-65 before closing things out with a 79-67 victory.
The Golden Eagles shot just 25.8 percent (8-31) in the second half
to finish the night shooting at a 43.6 percent (24-55) clip from
the field and 50.0 percent (7-14) from long range. Tech, meanwhile,
shot 56.9 percent (33-58) from the floor for the game, including
just a 25.0 percent (1-4) effort from long range.
The Lady Raiders also held a 44-18 advantage on points in the paint
and a 28-16 lead on points off turnovers.
Turek finished the night with 17 points and 11 rebounds and became
just the 6th Golden Eagle to record 1,600 career points in the
process. She also added three assists and a pair of steals in 33
minutes of action.
Dabbs ended the game with a team-high 20 points �€"
including 16 in the second half �€" for Tech while
Alesha Robertson added a double-double of her own with 10 points
and 12 boards.
ORU will be right back in action on Saturday afternoon when they
welcome NAIA foe St. Gregory�€™s to the Mabee
Center for a 2:05 p.m. affair.
-ORU-
