The Texas Tech Lady Raider basketball team saw their season come to an end as they fell 55-50 to St. John’s in their first round game of the 2011 NCAA Women’s Championship. The Lady Raiders finished their season at 22-11 after making their first appearance in the NCAA Championships under head coach Kristy Curry.

The Lady Raiders led at halftime 30-28, but were outscored in the second half 27-20 for the loss. Tech was led by Casey Morris who had a team high 10 points. Junior Kierra Mallard nearly recorded a double double as she finished with 9 points and 10 rebounds.

This was the first appearance for the Lady Raiders under Head Coach Kristy Curry. The Lady Raiders hadn’t made the NCAA Tournament since the 2004-2005 season under Head Coach Marsha Sharp. This was the 8th appearance for Kristy Curry in the Championships as she made 7 appearances while she was the head coach of Purdue.

With the win, St. John’s will advance the second round to battle the top seed of Stanford on Monday. The Lady Raiders season is officially over and the team is expected to return to Lubbock on Sunday.

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