Krista Gerlich isn’t above superstitions.
The Texas Tech women’s basketball coach is a big proponent of eating black-eyed peas as the calendar turns. Gerlich, whose recipe relies on bacon grease, brings the legumes to practice every new year and has each player take a spoonful for good luck.
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“You know,” she said on New Year’s Eve, “you can’t chance it.”
The tradition seems to have paid dividends in 2025.
After another tumultuous run through Big 12 play, the Lady Raiders rebounded for the best conference tournament of Gerlich’s tenure. Tech went on to reach the WBIT quarterfinals to salvage a winning record, and perhaps its coach’s job.
It wasn’t an uncommon finish during the Gerlich era. Her teams have had success in postseason invitationals, but the big dance has eluded them. Non-conference hot streaks have been met with struggles in the Big 12.
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Tech is in line to change that tune.
Texas Tech women’s basketball coach Krista Gerlich instructs her team against UCF in a Big 12 game Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, at United Supermarkets Arena.
Transfers Gemma Núñez, Snudda Collins and Jada Malone have synced with returning Lady Raiders to put the team in unfamiliar territory. Tech is ranked for the first time since 2012 and is still unscathed entering January. More important to the Lady Raiders’ NCAA Tournament prospects, the team is 2-0 in conference after downing UCF 73-55 on the final day of the year. Tech (15-0) upset then-No. 15 Baylor on the road for the team’s first win over the Bears since 2011.
So, yeah, it’s safe to say this is a different Lady Raiders bunch.
Núñez went for 11 points, five rebounds, eight assists with no turnovers in the win over the Knights. Collins, the team’s leading scorer, put up 15 points. Couple that with the improvement of Jalynn Bristow and Bailey Maupin’s consistent presence and Tech has eyes on snapping its March Madness drought.
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Bristow scored a game-high 21 points Wednesday to continue her breakout campaign. She has bumped her average from 3.7 points last season to 14.1. Maupin is just ahead at 14.4, and Collins averages 14.6.
But the most noticeable change for UCF coach Sytia Messer was on the other end.
“(Tech has) physicality on the defensive end as well as I’ve seen,” Messer said, “and I’ve been in the Big 12 a long time as a head coach and an assistant previously at Baylor. I would say their defensive end has been much better than what I’ve seen in the past.
“And what a great job that the coaching staff has done here at Tech to turn the corner.”
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That’s music to Gerlich’s ears. The former Lady Raider has long preached defense first, and to have it at the forefront of a turnaround is the cherry on top. Gerlich said she targeted tough defenders when assembling the key additions.
There’s still a long road to go, and Gerlich understands that. But Tech’s 2025 provided plenty of optimism.
A few black-eyed peas couldn’t hurt either. The Lady Raiders will get their fill before returning to action Saturday against Arizona.
“I love the way that we ended last (season) and the kids that really worked this summer and stayed here,” Gerlich said. “And just bought into it. They felt it last year, the way we finished, and they wanted to obviously continue that. I think we got the right people. I think that we recruited to that.
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“I think our returners did a great job of holding our standard up and buying into the defensive side of it. It’s just been great to see our kids and our program just rise up to where we think it could’ve been for a while and where it is now.”
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech women’s basketball looks to build off undefeated 2025
