LUBBOCK, TX — The No. 17 Texas Tech Lady Raiders look to remain unbeaten as they continue Big 12 play Saturday with a road matchup against Cincinnati. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. CT in Cincinnati, where the Bearcats hold a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series. Cincinnati won last year’s meeting 59-56 on Feb. 19 in Lubbock.
Texas Tech (17-0, 4-0 Big 12) enters the weekend riding the best start in program history. The Lady Raiders’ win over Arizona last Saturday moved them to 16-0 to open the season, while Wednesday’s victory at West Virginia pushed them to 17-0 overall and gave Tech its first win in Morgantown since 2015. Texas Tech is one of only four undefeated teams left in the country and currently sits alone atop the Big 12 standings. The 31-point victory over Arizona (80-49) also marked the program’s largest regular-season conference win since defeating Colorado 87-41 in January 2005.
Texas Tech continues to be one of the nation’s most efficient offensive teams, ranking 38th nationally in field-goal percentage (.461). All nine rotation players are shooting at least 40 percent from the field, with six above 45 percent. Jada Malone leads the roster at 68.9 percent. The Lady Raiders have posted a better shooting percentage than every opponent so far this season.
Senior guard Bailey Maupin remains a steady force, coming off a 27-point performance at West Virginia on 8-of-15 shooting. Thirteen of her points came in the fourth quarter. Maupin leads Tech with 15.1 points per game, 35 made 3-pointers and 55 free throws. She has reached double figures in 15 games and has posted at least 20 points three times this season.
Point guard Gemma Núñez continues to drive Tech’s offensive rhythm. She leads the team in assists (94) and steals (40) and ranks third in the Big 12 and 13th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.13). Núñez is averaging 5.5 assists per game, good for 24th nationally, and has recorded five or more assists in 12 games.
Scouting Cincinnati
Cincinnati (6-10, 1-3 Big 12) notched its first conference win of the season last week, upsetting No. 11 Iowa State. The Bearcats have also posted notable wins over New Mexico and UNLV, but have dropped league contests to Oklahoma State, Kansas State, and Colorado.
The Bearcats average 71.6 points per game while allowing 70.5. Cincinnati shoots 41.3 percent from the field and averages 41.2 rebounds and 13.4 assists per game. Three players score in double figures: Mya Perry (18.3), Caliyah DeVillasee (16.0) and Reagan Jackson (10.5). Kylie Torrence leads the team with 8.0 rebounds per game, followed by Alliance Ndiba (6.2) and Destiny Thomas (5.6).
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