Afternoon Headlines for March 21st

The Texas Tech Red Raider basketball team has hired 3 time Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year award winner Billy Clyde Gillispie to a five year contract worth a reported $800,000 dollars a season. Gillispie brings with him head coaching experience from the University of Kentucky, Texas A&M, and UTEP to the Red Raider program. In all, Gillispie has seven years of experience as a head coach at the Division I level, 12 years as an assistant at the collegiate level and eight years at the high school level (six as head coach, two as an assistant). His career record as a head coach from his time at UTEP through his time at Kentucky is 140 wins and 85 losses. He will be introduced as the 14^th head coach in Red Raider history Wednesday morning at 10 am with a public news conference being held at the United Spirit Arena.

In other men’s NCAA basketball news, as one high profile head coach was hired another was let go as the University of Tennessee has fired Bruce Pearl. Pearl lead the Vols to six straight NCAA tournament appearances, but was released after he was charged with unethical conduct by the NCAA for misleading investigators. Tennessee is set to appear before the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions in June.

The Texas Tech soccer team kicked off their spring season with a 2 to 1 win over Stephen F. Austin at the Challenge SC College Showcase in Houston. Tech started off slow as they trailed o to 1 at half time, but came out strong in the second half as Jessica Disabelle scored to tie the game, then team mate Taylor Lytle crossed a ball tin the 70^th minute to Dawn Ward who headed the ball in to give the Red Raiders the win.

In other Red Raiders news the Texas Tech baseball team won its opening conference series for the first time since 1997 as they took two of three games from the 14^th ranked Baylor Bears. The Red Raiders won Friday 6-5, lost Saturday 14-13, and won yesterday by a final score of 10-6 in 10 innings of play. With the win’s Texas Tech improves to 14-7 overall and 2-1 in conference play. The Red Raiders will return to the diamond tomorrow afternoon on the road against Dallas Baptist with first pitch schedule for 5pm.

The Texas Tech Red Raider men’s golf team was not able to continue their winning ways today at the Callaway Match Play Championships being held from the Hawks Ridge Gold Club in Ball Ground, Georgia. The Red Raiders had an impressive win over the 8^th seeded Georgia, and followed that victory up by taking down the top seed and second ranked UCLA Bruins, but fell today to the 4^th seeded University of Illinois.

In Major League baseball news Texas Rangers right-handed pitcher Tanner Scheppers has been sent to the minor league camp following a session of throwing live batting practice. Scheppers spring was limited to just one outing due to a back problem he agitated back on March the 3^rd against the Chicago Cubs, which required an injection to deaden a nerve. Rangers manager Ron Washington said the back injury would not end the club's plan to use Scheppers as a starter in the minor leagues this year. Meanwhile, once Brandon Webb is ready to start, he will likely split his rehab outings between Double-A Frisco and Round Rock, depending on which team is at home.

In other Major League baseball news just three days after the New York Mets informed second baseman Luis Castillo he was being released, they informed left-hander Oliver Perez he was suffering the same fate. Perez was let go despite being owed $12 million dollars in the final year of his contract.

In Local news - The 13^th ranked Lubbock Christian University Lady Chaparrals were the only non NCAA Division II members competing in the Western New Mexico University Mustang Invitational, where they finished in third place as a team with two top-five individual finishers.  Shelby Hill finished in third place while teammate Sinae Montoya finished in fourth for LCU. The Lady Chaps followed an opening round 323 with a 309 to match the lowest second round team score of the tournament.  Hill shot a 77 in each of her two rounds for a total of 154, which was two strokes off the tournaments individual champion.  Montoya finished a stroke back of Hill with a 155.  She followed a 79 round with a team-best second round score of 76.

In the NBA - Houston Rockets point guard Kyle Lowry has been named as the Western Conference Player of the week. Lowry averaged just under 20 points and over 7 assists and 7 rebounds for the week, as the Rockets moved from 11^th place in the Western Conference to 9^th, only a game and a half behind the Memphis Grizzlies. Lowry is the second Rockets player selected since the All Star break as Kevin Martin received the honor on Feb. 28^th. Houston had no Player of the Week selections the rest of the season or last season.

In other NBA news the league leading San Antonio Spurs will put their 32 and 3 home record on the line tonight as the Golden State Warriors come to town with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 from the AT&T Center.

Other games on the schedule will feature the Magic at the Cavaliers, and the Pacers at the Nets with both games starting at six.The Knicks will play host to the Celtics beginning at 7:30.The Sacramento Kings will be on the road facing the red hot Chicago Bulls, and the Memphis Grizzlies will play host to Utah Jazz with both those games tipping off at eight.And the final game of the day will see the Toronto Raptors on the road facing the Denver Nuggets with tip-off scheduled for 8 o’clock.