Nov. 27, 2005
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - Brooke Smith scored 21 points to lead No. 15 Stanford past 14th-ranked Texas Tech 66-63 on Sunday, handing the Lady Raiders their third straight loss.
Tech's LaToya Davis had a chance to tie it at 64 with 2.2 seconds remaining but missed the first of two free throws. On Davis' second attempt, Erin Grant got the rebound and was fouled with 1.6 seconds remaining.
She, too, missed the first and tried to bounce the second off the backboard so Tech could get the rebound but it went in to leave the Cardinal ahead 64-63.
Candice Wiggins sank two free throws to seal the win.
Stanford (3-1) used a 9-0 run capped by a layup by Wiggins to take a 43-41 lead with 13:31 remaining. Tech rallied and briefly retook the lead 51-50 on a layup by Davis.
Wiggins scored 17 of her 18 points in the second half. Kristen Newlin added 11 points and 17 rebounds for the Cardinal.
Freshman LaVonda Henderson scored a career-high 16 points - 11 in the first half - to lead the Red Raiders (1-4). Davis got her third double-double of the year, finishing with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Tech was coming off back-to-back road losses to unranked Rice and Mississippi, dropping the games by a total of six points. Rice beat the Lady Raiders 73-70 on Monday; Mississippi won 72-69 on Wednesday.
The loss gives Tech its worst start since the 1978-79 season under coach Gay Benson. That year, the Lady Raiders won their opener, but dropped their next seven games.
The last time Texas Tech lost three straight was in the middle of the 2001-02 season.
Tech closed the half on a 7-0 run in the final 1:21 to lead 33-26.