The Texas Tech Lady Raiders continue to march on, with Houston becoming their latest victim at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. The 71–59 win offered plenty to love about what has become one of the best stories of the season.

The Lady Raiders improved to 19–0 overall and 6–0 in Big 12 play, with Krista Gerlich’s team controlling every phase of the game. The win pushed their all-time record against Houston to 45–14, and it marked their sixth straight victory over the Cougars.

So, here are the four main takeaways from this one.

Houston Cougars Struggle With Turnovers

One of the biggest reasons the Cougars are still winless against Big 12 opponents this season is their inability to take care of the ball. Houston turned it over 24 times in the first three quarters, leading to 21 points off turnovers for Texas Tech. By the end of the third quarter, the Lady Raiders were already up by 11, effectively sealing the contest.

When it was all said and done, Houston finished with 27 turnovers, surrendering 23 points off those errors and allowing the Lady Raiders to steal the ball 16 times. The result helped Texas Tech tie the program’s single-season win streak record of 19. The last time the Lady Raiders hit that mark was the 1992–93 national championship season,  a team that head coach Krista Gerlich was part of.

Texas Tech Dominate Scoring in the Paint

Texas Tech shot 46% from the floor and 33% from deep with six made threes — a pretty good shooting night. But the real difference came in the paint that truly pushed the game in their favor.

Krista Gerlich’s side actually got out-rebounded 35–33, but they made the important ones count. Despite Houston grabbing more offensive rebounds, they weren’t as effective in the paint as Texas Tech. The Lady Raiders scored 40 points inside compared to Houston’s 22.

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Texas Tech vs. Houston Turns Into a Foul Fest

One of the biggest reasons Houston was still within 10 points in the first half was the number of soft calls that went against Texas Tech.

Players like Snudda Collins, who averages 14.8 points per game, were stuck in foul trouble and she eventually ended the night with five personal fouls. Jada Malone, another key rotation player averaging 7.8 points and 3.8 rebounds a night, finished with four fouls. That meant Texas Tech had to navigate stretches without some of their most important pieces.

The two teams combined for 41 fouls, which tells you everything about how hard-fought this game really was, even if the final score suggests an easy Texas Tech win.

Jalynn Bristow Shows Continued Growth

If the Big 12 had a Most Improved Player award, it would 100% go to Jalynn Bristow. Nobody in the conference has taken a bigger scoring leap than the junior guard. She’s gone from 3.7 a night to 12.8, and she showed up again tonight.

Bristow finished the night with 14 points on 6-for-14 shooting, hitting two threes along with 7 rebounds and 5 steals. It was a complete performance, but her highlight of the night came when she drilled a three-pointer from well before the half-court line at the buzzer, giving Texas Tech a 10-point lead at the break and completely flipping the momentum of what had been a tightly contested game.

Texas Tech was predicted to finish 13th out of the 16 teams in the Big 12, but right now they sit in first place at 6–0 in conference play. Whether or not they end up winning the regular-season title is a different question, but this genuinely feels like the year the Lady Raiders return to the field of 68 — something that hasn’t happened in over a decade.