Texas Tech fell short to Texas Tuesday night, 81-69, at the United Supermarkets Arena. Here are our takeaways from a wild night in Lubbock.
Red Raider offense continues to deteriorate
In the simplest terms they can possibly be put in, Texas Tech was outmatched, outhustled and outmuscled in just about every facet of the game against Texas. The Red Raiders’ offense has been struggling for several games, the result of a multitude of factors.
Poor shooting from heavily-relied on guards and the lack of key facilitator Warren Washington have done no favors for a Tech team that has been getting by on mostly grit and determination in the midst of its shooting slump.
The Red Raiders dug themselves in a hole rather quickly, in a 47-23 deficit at intermission. Pop Isaacs, who eventually went on to lead the team with 17 points, was 0-10 from the field in the first half. Tech shot 8-33 from the field in the first 20 minutes compared to Texas’ 18-30.
Taking care of the basketball was not a glaring issue, Tech only turned it over nine times.
The Red Raiders were forced into bad looks all night, save for a late push from the midpoint in the second half to give the mirage that the game would be competitive again. It was a night where nobody had a good game, ultimately due to the opposition throwing too many haymakers and being stingy on defense.
Texas’ stars shine, with adequate help off the bench
Washington missing Tuesday’s game had its effects on both ends of the floor and it was even more noticeable when Texas had the ball on offense. Without a true big to oppose him, the Big 12’s second-leading scorer went to work and finished with 21 points on 9-16 shooting.
Disu remarked postgame that it was an emphasis from the coaching staff that he would most likely be in one-on-one coverages in the post if the ball was fed his way.
Though the Red Raiders sent the occasional stunt to try and pressure Disu down low, the Longhorns’ plan for him came to fruition with his production.
Max Abmas chipped in 18 points, on rough shooting splits of 33 percent from the field and 25 percent (4-12) from beyond the arc. While Abmas’ night wasn’t particularly efficient, he made shots when they mattered and seemingly had an answer to any jab that Tech landed.
After starting six straight games for Texas, former Texas Tech target Chendall Weaver was relegated to the bench in favor of the longer Ithiel Horton.
Weaver responded by putting up one of his best nights of the season, scoring 15 points and providing hustle plays on loose balls throughout the night. His point output matched his season high, while his rebounding (8 total) and free throw numbers (9-11) were both season highs.
******************************************************************************************
Join the conversation with other Red Raiders on the Inside The Double T forum.
Subscribe today to get the most in-depth Texas Tech sports and recruiting coverage.
Follow us on X: @RedRaiderSports
Like and follow us on Instagram @rrs_rivals & like us on Facebook.
******************************************************************************************
Second half ruckus leads to ejection, thrown objects and a plea from the head coach
While the story of the game wrote itself, the true story of the night unfolded midway through the second half of Tuesday’s contest.
Darrion Williams chased down a loose ball and after being met with an egregious shoulder check from Texas’ Brock Cunningham, chaos ensued.
Cunningham’s bump sent the Tech sophomore into the courtside fans and the ESPN table, causing a brief scuffle amongst the players.
As the officials went to the monitor, fans began throwing beer cans and other objects on the court. Cunningham was met with a Flagrant 2 and an ejection, but Tech picked up its own technical fouls for the projectiles on the court.
As Cunningham made his way out of the game into the tunnel, Tech head coach Grant McCasland took control of the PA and pleaded with his fan base to stop throwing objects onto the floor.
It was pure madness inside of the United Supermarkets Arena, and a student was even fully carried out by six police officers.
McCasland commented postgame that part of the Tech v. Texas game is the passion it instills in fans, but that the actions displayed were unacceptable.
Where does Tech go from here?
With three games left on the schedule, what once looked like a certain tournament team has now seen its waters become murky.
The Red Raiders moved to 8-7 in Big 12 play after the loss to the Longhorns and are still in search of the elusive ninth conference win that many believe is the magic number to reach the NCAA Tournament.
With its next two games on the road, the No. 38 team in KenPom will have its work cut out for them if they want to stay in contention for a postseason bid.
West Virginia is up next with 6-foot-11 Jesse Edwards, who has been tearing it up all season even after missing a month due to injury.
While the Red Raiders’ resume includes wins over notable teams, a run of poor form at a less-than-ideal time does not bode well heading into March.
