In a pivotal Big 12 matchup, the Texas Tech women's basketball, under the guidance of head coach Krista Gerlich, secured a significant 71-63 victory over No. 24 Iowa State Cyclones on Wednesday. The win marks Gerlich's first career victory over Iowa State, and followed Texas Tech's recent 73-55 Jan. 13 loss to Oklahoma.

Gerlich decided to switch-up her strategy during the game, altering the starting lineup and replacing guards Ashley Chevalier and Jasmine Shavers with Rhyle McKinney and Jada Wynn. This was McKinney and Wynn's first start of the season, a decision Gerlich made to “shake things up” and address ball-handling issues.

“(I was) just trying to shake things up,” Gerlich said., via Ty Kaplan of The Daily Toreador. “Obviously we gotta take care of the ball better, and we hadn’t been doing that. Also, I thought that they (Iowa State) would zone us a little bit, so we needed to have some shooters out there. And I thought Rhyle has just earned that right.”

McKinney seized her opportunity, tying her career-high with five 3-pointers in the first half, and ended the night with 15 points.

“Start or don’t start, I think it’s the same mindset. Every time I’m on the floor I want to win so bad for this team,” McKinney said. “… I just want it so bad for this program, and it makes me so emotional because we went through a hard time. So to come out here tonight and just do big things for my teammates and just watch them execute, I was so proud of everybody.”

While McKinney dominated the first half, Shavers, coming off the bench, burst into action in the second. She broke her scoring slump, adding 15 crucial points, including a timely three-pointer.

The Lady Raiders' defense was also a key factor, as Gerlich pointed out their effectiveness in the half-court. This defensive solidity, combined with a 44.8% success rate from the three-point line, was instrumental in securing their first ranked win of the season.

Bailey Maupin and Kilah Freelon also played pivotal roles. Maupin's long three-pointer just before halftime and Freelon's contribution in the fourth quarter were crucial moments in the game. Texas Tech's impressive 13 of 29 shooting from distance was a highlighted their offensive strategy, and the team also racked up thirteen 3-pointers, per the Associated Press.

“Really, really great win tonight for the Lady Raider program and for Lady Raider nation,” Gerlich said. “I’m really proud of the response that they’ve had after last week. That’s what Lady Raider basketball should look like. That’s what we expect it to look like.”

For Iowa State, Emily Ryan led with a season-high 18 points, and freshman Audi Crooks added a double-double.

The victory sets a new tone for Texas Tech (14-5, 3-3 Big 12), marking their first win against a ranked opponent since January 2023 and breaking a series drought against Iowa State since February 2020. The Lady Raiders now look ahead to their next challenge against Brigham Young University on Saturday.