Rhyle McKinney puts up the game-winning layup. (Photo by Andrew Watters) 
Bryn Gerlich and coach Krista Gerlich hug after the double-overtime win. (Photo by Andrew Watters) 
Bre’Amber Scott, Ashley Chevalier, Saga Ukkonen, Bailey Maupin, and Bryn Gerlich put their guns up for The Matador Song after the double overtime victory. (Photo by Andrew Watters) 
Bre’Amber Scott, Kilah Freelon, and Bryn Gerlich hug after the double overtime victory. (Photo by Andrew Watters) 
Bre’Amber Scott jumps up to block a shot from JJ Quinerly. (Photo by Andrew Watters) 
Kilah Freelon cheers on the bench after tying the game. (Photo by Andrew Watters) 
Bryn Gerlich looks to see if her three pointer is going in. (Photo by Andrew Watters) 
Bre’Amber Scott goes up for a layup. (Photo by Andrew Watters) 
Raider Red poses a serious question. (Photo by Andrew Watters) 
Katie Ferrell gets a rebound. (Photo by Andrew Watters) 
Ashley Chevalier fires off a pass to Bryn Gerlich. (Photo by Andrew Watters) 
Bailey Maupin defends against Madisen Smith. (Photo by Andrew Watters) 
Kilan Freelon jumps up to try and block a three pointer from Tavy Diggs. (Photo by Andrew Watters) 
Bre’Amber Scott and Jasmine Shavers dance during the player introductions. (Photo by Andrew Watters) 
Bryn Gerlich and Rhyle McKinney chase after a loose ball. (Photo by Andrew Watters) 
Bre’Amber Scott sinks a three pointer. (Photo by Andrew Watters)
In mid-January, Texas Tech women’s basketball took down Texas in the United Supermarkets Arena behind 28 points from super-senior Bre’Amber Scott. Tech was 3-3 in the Big 12 at that point and looking like a tough team to reckon with.
The next game, they committed 20 turnovers and lost to West Virginia on the road, and even with head coach Krista Gerlich’s savvy lineup changes; Scott and Bryn Gerlich’s big-time moments; and promising play from young players, they lost seven of their last eight games including a triple-overtime thriller Saturday to Oklahoma State.
On Wednesday, they flipped the script to rally from 17 points down, force an unlikely turnover and watch Rhyle McKinney be in the right place at the right time and beat West Virginia in double-overtime 69-68 in Lubbock.
“What resiliency our kids have, and I’m so proud for them,” Krista Gerlich said. “They deserved that. They needed a win like that. They needed some positive things to happen for them. They’ve been fighting really, really hard, and that was an ugly game.”
West Virginia’s JJ Quinerly had 21 points to lead all scorers, but it wasn’t enough in the end to fight off the Lady Raiders.
Super-senior Katie Ferrell was in her bag with 11 points, three assists and two steals, including the steal that eventually led to the game-winning bucket from McKinney, who had 13 points of her own.
Scott was coming off an injury according to Krista Gerlich, but she fought for 13 points, seven rebounds and a block before fouling out in the first overtime.
After Ferrell threw the deep inbounds pass that was tipped by West Virginia to McKinney, McKinney said she wasn’t really thinking of anything when it happened as she made the game-winner.
“I was just so in the moment, and I wanted it so bad for this team,” McKinney said. “We worked so hard, and after the tough loss last Saturday, I mean, it hit us hard mentally and physically, our team was drained…We deserve this win, I’m so proud of my girls.”
Tech (17-11) improved to 5-10 in Big 12 play and snapped a five-game losing streak while West Virginia falls to 16-10 overall and 7-8 in the Big 12.
It started with a 13-0 run from West Virginia as they got out to a 15-2 lead, then WVU went on a 13-2 run in the second quarter to go up 34-17.
Krista Gerlich said she told her team at halftime that if they’re not going to fight, they shouldn’t leave the locker room. They decided to fight.
“[Katie Ferrell] led the way,” Krista Gerlich said, “and I just told the girls that’s exactly why she’s here is to give us that grit, give us that toughness and show this program and this team how they’re supposed to leave it all out on the floor and you do everything you can within that timeframe of the game for your team, whatever that is.”
At that point, Tech wasn’t quite firing on all cylinders on offense, but Ferrell was responsible for 10 of Tech’s 15 third-quarter points. She scored four on her own and dished two assists on three-pointers as they outscored West Virginia 15-5.
Once the Lady Raiders took the lead early in the fourth quarter, a high-scoring game suddenly started.
Quinerly led the Mountaineers back to scoring points once again, but everybody from freshman Ashley Chevalier, who scored a career-high six points all in the fourth quarter, to Scott got involved for Tech to answer at every turn and force overtime.
One overtime wasn’t enough, but in the second overtime, West Virginia’s Kyah Watson drained a triple with 57 seconds left to take a 67-64 lead that could’ve been it, and Smith even made one of her free throws late.
But then, McKinney was fouled behind the three-point line with 14 seconds left and drained all three before Ferrell dived and forced a jump ball, giving possession to Tech in an improbable situation.
Ferrell then threw a deep inbound pass to Bryn Gerlich, but two WVU defenders got to her to tip it away…into McKinney’s hands as she drained the game-winning layup.
Chevalier and McKinney switched out for each other multiple times for defense and shooting, respectively, and Krista Gerlich loves that they understand their roles. Both sophomores, they came up big in huge moments for this Tech squad when they needed it.
Up Next
Krista Gerlich lost to Oklahoma State in three overtimes last Saturday, watched Lubbock Monterey beat Amarillo High in five overtimes, and won in two overtimes Wednesday. She’s a bit familiar with overtime now, to say the least.
She’s now 11-1 in overtime games as a head coach.
Texas Tech will have to find a way to recover as they go on the road to Waco to play Baylor (17-10, 8-7 Big 12) this Saturday. Tech lost to them 79-59 in Lubbock Jan. 28.
Loading ...