College Basketball
Roundup: Texas Tech cruises into women's NIT title game

By The Associated Press

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive

LUBBOCK, Texas — Jia Perkins scored 22 points to lead No. 7 Texas Tech to a 68-41 victory over Cal Santa Barbara last night in the semifinals of the women's Preseason NIT.

The Lady Raiders (3-0) will host No. 15 Rutgers in Sunday's championship game.

Texas Tech used a 15-0 run midway through the second half to put away Santa Barbara (2-1). The Gauchos pulled to 41-30 on a three-pointer by Brandy Richardson with 14:25 left, but Tech scored on its next five possessions to make it 50-30 with 11:21 to play.

Natalie Ritchie hit three free throws, LaToya Davis scored inside and Chesley Dabbs connected on a 10-footer before Casey Jackson capped the run with a layup off a great pass by Dabbs.

Perkins then added four points and Jametra Clark finished the run by scoring inside for a 56-30 lead with 8:25 left. The Gauchos never got closer than 20 points the rest of the way.

Ritchie finished with 11 points for Tech, which held its third straight opponent to fewer than 50 points.

Lindsay Taylor had 12 points for the Gauchos.

Men's games

At Georgia Tech 75, Hofstra 56 — Marvin Lewis scored 23 points and Georgia Tech cruised to its second straight victory in the Preseason NIT.

The Yellow Jackets (2-0) advanced to face No. 1 Connecticut in the semifinals next Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. The other semifinal will have Utah against the winner of tonight's quarterfinal between Massachusetts and Texas Tech.

At No. 4 Arizona 116, Team Nike 91 — Andre Iguodala scored 23 points to lead the Wildcats to victory in an exhibition game.

Channing Frye had 20 points for Arizona, while Mustafa Shakur added 19, Hassan Adams 18, Chris Rodgers 15 and Salim Stoudamire 12.

Notes

• Marquette freshman forward James Matthews has been suspended from basketball-related activities to concentrate on academics, coach Tom Crean said.

• The estate of Wilt Chamberlain has donated $650,000 to endow three scholarships and a Special Olympics program at Kansas, where he played for three seasons.

Copyright © 2003 The Seattle Times Company