Senior center Stacy Stephens scored 28 points and had 12 rebounds Sunday to send No. 3 Texas to an 82-73 win over the Lady Raiders in the Big 12’s best rivalry.
Freshman forward Tiffany Jackson got her third start of the season and scored 19 points, helping the Longhorns extended the nation’s longest home winning streak to 30.
Texas coach Jody Conradt has used Jackson mostly off the bench this season as a momentum changer. At 6-foot-3, she’s an athletic forward who can run the floor after Stephens pounds defenses under the basket with her sturdy 6-1 frame.
Playing them at the same time worked to perfection. Stephens was 10-of-10 shooting while Jackson was 9-of-14. The two combined for five blocks.
“I thought this was the best chance we had to win,” Conradt said. “This will be a lineup we’re going to use (more).”
Stephens loved it because Jackson’s presence opened up the defense.
“She’s so athletic she can score from anywhere on the floor,” Stephens said. “They’re not going to double-up the post with her out there.”
Jackson dominated early, stepping out to retrieve passes before driving the baseline for reverse layups in the first half, and going coast-to-coast for a bucket n the second.
Stephens controlled the game late with an unstoppable spin move in the lane and soft shooting touch. She scored 10 points over the final eight minutes after her free throw gave Texas a 58-56 lead.
“They just overpowered us there at a couple of points,” Tech coach Marsha Sharp said. “They’re just so big and physical.”
Texas (19-2, 7-1) shot 55 percent from the floor compared to 43 percent for Tech (18-3, 4-3).
The teams were tied or traded the lead 18 times in the first half. Tech held its biggest lead of the half at 25-21 before Nina Norman and Heather Schreiber tied it with consecutive layups.
