BIG 12 CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 5, 2025

Krista Gerlich

Jasmine Shavers

Denae Fritz

T-Mobile Center

Texas Tech Lady Raiders

Postgame Press Conference

Texas Tech 57, Kansas 53

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Texas Tech Head Coach Krista Gerlich, and student-athletes, Jasmine Shavers and Denae Fritz. Coach?

KRISTA GERLICH: Super great game. I have known Brandon Schneider since I was a child. Great battle and great game against him. Super proud of the way we approached the game to begin with. I thought Denae set the tone with just her intensity level, the way she came out firing it from the three-point line, and her defensive presence was huge.

And Jazzy and Kilah carried us through, especially late in the game. I thought Kilah and Jazzy were really big-time. Bailey hit some big free throws as well.

It looked like a first-round game to me because it was ugly, lots of turnovers, lots of missed free throws, first-game jitters, I'm sure. But at the end of the day, I thought our kids battled and had found a way to win, and super proud we get to play tomorrow.

Q. Jayhawks made it a one-possession game multiple times there in the fourth. What do you think the difference was in working it out down the stretch and locking it down?

KRISTA GERLICH: I think we quit turning the basketball over. We turned it over consecutive possessions and weren't getting great shots. And they started knocking down some shots. Brittany Harshaw did a nice job of knocking down threes. So it opened us up a little bit, and we weren't getting pay-off on the other end. Then we started getting great stops and not getting any pay-off for it.

Just thought in the fourth quarter we finally got 'em settled in and got some stops and started making some baskets, and I think we quit turning the ball over.

Q. I got one for both you guys. The month of March, you're back at it tomorrow, quick turnaround, you got Utah. What's the mentality going into that game tomorrow night after tonight?

JASMINE SHAVERS: The mentality is we get to keep playing basketball. We came in today, wanted to keep playing. That's what we did, got the win. Take tonight to rest and recover, and back at it again tomorrow. I think we're already at it because we're excited to continue to play the game of basketball.

DENAE FRITZ: I would say all our focus going on to Utah now. They're the team we have to beat to continue to keep playing in the month of March. I think that's the most important thing for us to focus on right now and obviously fix a couple of things tonight that we could do better tomorrow night against them.

Q. Denae, you had two blocks and three steals tonight. What was clicking for you on the defensive side of the ball?

DENAE FRITZ: I think I just, like I do every night, buy into defense. And tonight meant a little more. It's win or go home. That's one thing I need to bring for the team to be successful every night. So I really just bought into that part. And I just know that it really gets the team going when we get a steal or a stop. So that just leads to offense for us.

Q. In a game where S'Mya Nichols goes down, how were you guys able to take advantage of her not being on the court?

KRISTA GERLICH: Is that for me? I'm not sure we did, to be honest. I thought their supporting cast did a really good job of keeping them in it, and obviously took the lead at one point with her not on the floor. So I think they did a really good job of that.

She's a great player, and she takes a lot of attention from your defense when she is on the floor. But I would credit their supporting cast because they really did a nice job.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much.