Texas Tech Rolls to 10–0 Behind Malone’s Double-Double and Fritz’s Two-Way Spark
Texas Tech is 10–0 for the second time in three years, but this start looks and feels different. A Top-25 NET ranking, the program’s highest in more than a decade, captures the statistical side of their story but the real difference is in the framework. Head Coach Krista Gerlich sees it in the way this roster communicates, competes and responds to coaching. After Wednesday’s 83–43 win over Wichita State, she didn’t hesitate to say “yes” when asked if this feels different from past starts.
“It’s just a special group,” Gerlich said. “This is a different group of girls with a different mindset… we have little to no drama, really mature kids and they want to be coached hard. They’re listening, they’re adjusting and you can just tell they’re really hungry.”
That showed again against the Shockers, where Jada Malone delivered her first double-double as a Lady Raider and Denae Fritz sparked run after run with her defensive disruption and timely three-point shooting.
Texas Tech Stat Leaders
Jada Malone: 19 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks (first double-double at Texas Tech)
Denae Fritz: 9 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks (NO FOULS)
Gemma Núñez: 5 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Sidney Love: 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Jalynn Bristow: 10 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
Bailey Maupin: 10 points, 3 assists, 3 steals
Snudda Collins: 13 points, 2 rebounds
How It Happened
Despite what the final score shows, Wichita State actually held a 6–5 lead a few minutes into the first quarter. A shaky start in which Texas Tech turned the ball over, lost a couple of ball-screen coverages and struggled to establish their press. When Gerlich was asked what changed to trigger the massive swing that followed, she broke it down directly.
“We turned the ball over a couple of early trips and that led them into some looks,” she explained. “I didn’t think we were guarding their ball screens very well early, they were splitting us some and getting to the rim. And I thought they ran right through our press at first. But the more we played, the more we settled and we were able to control the ball a little more.”
Once Tech settled, everything flipped. The Lady Raiders tightened their pressure and ripped off a 22–0 run that turned a one-point deficit into a 27–6 lead. From that moment on, despite a few Shocker attempts at breaking into the lead, the game belonged to Texas Tech.
Then came Jada Malone, who delivered her best performance yet as a Lady Raider notching a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double. Her feel for the game shined again, finding shooters and controlling the paint with her passing and scoring. Also impressive was her elite footwork in this game, something that led me to wonder if she spent time in dance studios growing up. After a brief laugh from the group at the podium because unbeknownst to all in the media bay she had just come from breaking it down in the locker room (see video) – Malone had this to say about her footwork.
“I used to do gymnastics and cheerleading when I was little,” Malone said. “I think it comes from a lot of work, but I’m sure some of that has to come from that as well.“
Don’t go calling her finesse though, she loves the physicality, in fact it fires her up even more.
“Being physical is something I pride myself on,” she said. “When other teams try to challenge me, that’s when it becomes a little more fun to be honest.”
When she wasn’t bullying folks in the lane or making them look silly with her footwork, she was finding shooters and back cutters on passes. Something she prides herself on, knowing how important it is for her teammates to know they can trust her when they give her the ball.
“My teammates are noticing I’m dependable, not just to score, but to get the ball back to them,” Malone said. “I’m figuring out where everyone likes the ball.”
The latter was echoed by senior guard Denae Fritz who was the beneficiary of one of Malone’s passes on her way to a team leading three three pointers.
“When they can’t stop her inside, just give her the ball,” said Fritz on what it’s like to play alongside Malone. “And then when they start finally stopping her, she’s really good at giving us the ball on the outside, getting us really good looks and getting us the ball in the shooter’s pocket.”
Before Malone took control of the game in the third quarter, Fritz was arguably the most impactful player on the court. Getting a three to start both the first and second quarter but most of all her trademark defense. Watch her and it shows up even before tipoff. In the layup lines, she’ll unconsciously swipe and contest the airspace of her own teammates, as if switching off would break her rhythm. When asked about how much she loves leading the charge on defense she just smiled:
“I definitely do love playing defense. It’s something I pride myself on.”
Fritz may not have expanded more but her head coach was quick to make sure the senior captain got her due for how much she means to this team.
“Denae is really undervalued to the outside world for what she does for us,” Gerlich said. “She’s a defensive stopper… the pressure she puts on their best guard or ball handler is tremendous and she actually starts our defense.”
And the data backs it up: Fritz owns the third-highest plus-minus on the roster, behind only Jalynn Bristow and Gemma Núñez, a perfect statistical reflection of the effect she has on winning. Winning being something this team is doing a lot of as one of only four teams in the nation to already have 10 victories to their name this season.
Everything Else
- Texas Tech won every quarter, shooting 41.7% from three, dominating the glass 53–31 and holding Wichita State to just six points in both the first and fourth quarters.
- 5’7 Point guard Gemma Núñez showed her bulldog ways with 10 rebounds and countless defensive deflection to lead three separate 10-0+ runs alongside Fritz.
- Snudda Collins added 13 points, she’s now scored in double figures in all 10 games this season.
- Jalynn Bristow had a “quiet night” and still almost finished with a double double at 10 points and 8 rebounds.
- Off the bench, Sidney Love contributed 8 points and 5 rebounds, while Adlee Blacklock added timely shooting and drew a late charge that fired up the bench.
- All 11 suited out players entered the game with nine of them scoring and Texas Tech piled up 49 bench points in one of its deepest performances of the season.
Next Up: On the Road at Washington State 12/12
Texas Tech has a week plus break for finals as they won’t play again until next Friday, December 12, when they hop a plane to Pullman, Washington to take on Washington State. The Cougars have had a tough start to the season but seem to be putting it together as they pushed a 8-1 BYU to the brink losing 56-54 in Provo Wednesday night.
Game is set to tip off at 8pm CT and will be streamed on ESPN+.
Photo Gallery: Texas Tech vs. Wichita State Basketball
Join the conversation with other Red Raiders on the Inside The Double T forum.
Subscribe today to get the most in-depth Texas Tech sports and recruiting coverage.
Follow us on X: @RedRaiderSports
Like and follow us on Instagram @rrs_rivals & like us on Facebook.
