The Texas Tech Lady Raiders tipped off the Paradise Jam Women's Collegiate Basketball Tournament Friday evening by upsetting the Penn State Lady Lions, 79-71.
The Ivanna Eudora Kean Gymnasium was near capacity and jumping as hundreds of fans had followed their teams to the tournament.
The 13th-ranked Lady Raiders shot 50 percent from the field in the first half while the 9th-ranked Lady Lions shot 42 percent themselves and were only down 36-32 at the midway point.
The Lady Lions cut the lead to two with an early basket in the second half, but Texas Tech went on a 10-0 run to take a 12-point lead and never looked back. The Lady Lions could not roar back into the game as the Lady Raiders kept them at bay, never allowing them to get closer than seven.
The Lady Raiders were led by their lone senior, Katrisa O'Neal who bounced back from lackluster shooting in the first half of just 4 for 12. She shot 67 percent in the second half and led her team and all scorers with 24 points.
" I was thinking too much about shooting," she said. "I had to stay focused and keep shooting in the second half."
O'Neal's teammates Plenette Pierson and Jia Perkins added 16 and 12 points, respectively. Half of Perkins' points came from behind the arc, as she went 2 for 4 from three-point range.
The Lady Lions were lead by Kelly Mazzante who scored 22 points. Lisa Sheperd just missed a double-double as she had 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
The Lady Raiders scored 27 points off of turnovers, 14 more than the Penn State. The Lady Lions outrebounded Texas Tech, 44-37. But the Lady Raiders captured all the fast-break points by a margin of 10-0.
