Virginia Tech Va. Tech/Texas Tech Texas Tech Women's College Basketball recap on ESPN

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) – Plenette Pierson scored a career-high 28 points as Texas Tech overcame a slow start to beat Virginia Tech 73-52 in the second round of the Mideast Regional on Sunday.

With Texas Tech down 27-19 early in the second half, Pierson hit four straight jump shots to tie the game with 16:15 to play.

After the second-seeded Raiders took their first lead on Jolee Ayers' basket, Pierson hit four free throws and two more jumpers to make it 44-35 with 8:51 left.

While Tere Williams, the seventh-seeded Hokies' top scorer and rebounder, sat out because of foul trouble, Pierson capped the surge by catching a pass under the basket, throwing it up and then screaming with surprise and delight after it went in. Fouled on the play, she hit the free throw to make it 49-37 with 7:33 left.

Texas Tech (25-6) advanced to the round of 16 for the third straight year. The Raiders will play the winner of the Purdue-Louisiana State game on Saturday in Birmingham, Ala.

Williams had 17 points for Virginia Tech (21-9), which led by as many as nine points in the first half as the Raiders scored a season low of 18 on 28 percent shooting.

Texas Tech outscored the Hokies 55-27 in the second half.

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Women's College Basketball Scoreboard

Virginia Tech Clubhouse

Texas Tech Clubhouse