MONTHLY ISSUE THURSDAY, Nov. 10, 2022 VOLUME 97 ISSUE 4
SPIRIT
PREVIEW
OPINIONS
PREVIEW
INDEX
The High Riders organization creates fun atmosphere for women-centered sports.
Texas Tech women’s basketball team prepares for upcoming season after winning its debut game.
Tech athletes should not be seen as celebrities and instead should be able to have a normal college life.
Texas Tech men’s basketball team has set high standards for itself as it continues the season.
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SPIRIT WOMEN’S PREVIEW OPINIONS MEN’S PREVIEW
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Motivated by t he
MADNESS
Milly Latino /The Daily Toreador Second-year guard Ashley Chevalier looks at a teammate, ready to recieve a pass against Texas A&M Corpus Christi at the United Supermarkets Arena on Nov. 7, 2022.
Olivia Raymond /The Daily Toreador Super-senior forward Kevin Obanor dribbling the ball before going for a three-pointer past Northwestern State’s defense at the United Supermarkets Arena on Nov. 7, 2022.
Lady Raiders resume Home court reigns for Raiders in Hub City chase of ‘93 legacy By JARRETT RAMIREZ Sports Reporter
Of the 32 banners dedicated to Lady Raiders basketball hanging inside the United Supermarkets Arena, there is one that stands apart from the rest. Written in bold, white script across a black and scarlet background reads “NCAA National Champions 1993.” The 2022-2023 season marks the 30-year anniversary of the Texas Tech women’s basketball team climbing atop the NCAA tournament and being crowned the champions of basketball. The 1993 season was capped off with an 84-82 victory over Ohio State, but for San Antonio resident and former Lady Raider Diana Kersey, the campaign as a whole was years in the making. “I think we were all just gelled as a team and the confidence level that we built up as the season progressed, it became to where
we felt like the national championship was inevitable,” Kersey, a forward from 1990-1994, said. “Winning is contagious … . We just knew we could win every game played.” In her 24 seasons at the helm of the Tech women’s basketball team, head coach Marsha Sharp instilled a winning culture and walked away in 2006 with 572 victories, according to Tech Athletics. Sharp’s relentless attitude led to her players achieving a 97% graduation rate, a feat almost unheard of in collegiate athletics. Aside from success on the basketball court, Sharp acknowledged the importance of ensuring that her players left Tech with an education to set themselves a foundation in life. “My goal was to make sure they left Tech with a degree because if I had brought them there and we’ve had great experiences athletically for four years, but they had left without a degree, I would not have done my job
By Jacob Lujan / The Daily Toreador
very well,” Sharp said. “It honestly became something that our older players would make sure that the younger players did and this was a really important part of it.” Sheryl Swoopes, the Most Outstanding Player of that 1993 group, was perhaps the most recognizable face on the team. A 2019 inductee to the Tech Ring of Honor, Swoopes is cemented in Tech culture as one of the most decorated athletes to roll through Lubbock. Swoopes has a deep trophy case that holds three WNBA MVP awards to go along with her three Olympic gold medals. Her impact on the game of basketball stretched further than the depths of West Texas. Swoopes, originally of Brownfield, was one of 10 players on the ‘93 team from within a 100 mile radius of Lubbock. Coach Sharp discussed the importance of keeping local recruits at Tech and how that affects teams even today. SEE LADY RAIDERS, PG. 5
By NATE ZIEGNER News Reporter
As the 2022-2023 Texas Tech basketball season has begun non-conference play and conference matchups in the coming weeks, the hype from last year’s seasons is carrying over in hopes for similar victorious outcomes. As Mark Adams’ first season as head coach with the men’s team began last year, love for him skyrocketed. Coming off the frustration of former head coach Chris Beard deciding to coach for in-state rival, the University of Texas, student support for Adams showed in high attendance and wide participation. Adams turned down an offer to join Beard in Austin, noting Adams’ love for Lubbock and the Red Raider family. Tech fans welcomed him with open arms, promising the same level of support and attendance shown for the former head coach.
As the first few games of the 2021-2022 season began and the team proved it was just as formidable as it had been under Beard, fans poured into every game. Inside the United Supermarkets Arena, the crowd roared, danced and dressed up to make sure no opponent could come out on top in Lubbock. Fans especially took notice that the team and Adams were serious when Tech upset No. 7 Kansas at home on Jan. 8, 75-67. Then came the ending of No.1-ranked Baylor’s 21-game undefeated streak in Waco, showcasing game leader super-senior guard #25 Adonis Arms with 14 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Support culminated on Feb. 1, as UT came to Lubbock. In the days leading up to the big matchup, students lined up outside the doors of the arena with tents and sleeping bags to secure spots as close to the court as possible. As
Texas buses pulled into the Hub City passion and vengeance for the Longhorns and Beard return filled the Tech community. The game was a sellout, filling the stadium with 15,000 fans crying out for a Red Raider victory. Tech delivered the win, 77-64. “I am appreciative of the way our players played and our fans, they were outstanding and just showed why we have the best fans in the country,” Adams said in a news conference following the game. “I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything like that before.” The environment of Tech support earned national notice through ESPN and other big sports networks. Videos of mass crowds swag surfin and erupting as opposing teams shot free throws went viral on social media platforms, garnering excitement for the team’s success all over the country. Hector Hernandez, a SEE HOME COURT, PG. 5