TJ Holyfield’s hot shooting continues as he goes 2 of 2 from deep and 8 of 12 from the floor as Texas Tech bounces back at home 69-61 over the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Red Raiders got off to a slow start not scoring until the 17-minute mark with a Holyfield three, but Texas Tech head coach liked the way his team finished in the second half.

“Oklahoma is just really difficult to play against,” Beard said. “They’re really difficult to coach against, and I thought our guys just stood the test. There’s going to be a lot of ups and downs in the game. I thought, for the most part, we kept our composure. We kept kind of fighting, but a good end to the first half (of conference play) tonight.”

Beard continued on Holyfield’s night saying Holyfield is someone to be reckoned with in the Big 12.

“There’s a lot of great players in the Big 12,” Beard said, “and they all deserve the attention and pub that they get, but I certainly think Holyfield has proven that he’s not only a Big 12 player but one of the better guys in our league when he settles down and plays the way he can. We’re really proud of him.”

Sophomore guard Kyler Edwards, who finished with 17 point and 5 rebounds, said Holyfield has put in the work to be able to perform at the level he has as of late.

“I mean, the work he’s put in every day,” Edwards said, “I already know that he’s already confident by the work he puts in.”

To start the game, Oklahoma made it difficult for the Red Raiders to get on the board, eventually hitting a three from Holyfield, but Edwards said the Sooners just played great defense.

“They did a lot of switching, and, like, we weren’t reading it right,” Edwards said.

To the last five minutes, the Red Raiders were able to limit the shooting of the Sooners and close out the game. Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lon Kruger credited the Red Raiders saying Tech played better than his team did.

“I didn’t think we made very strong plays at that time,” Kruger said, “and I thought they did, the difference in the ball game. Our guys battled. We got to keep working, we got to keep getting better, and, again, great atmosphere. (Chris Beard) has done such a good job, and his team is playing great.”

“Coach (Beard) talked about finishing all this week,” Edwards said. “We try to do our best, you know, finishing the game, getting to the foul line, and knocking down free throws and finishing shots.

For the Sooners, Brady Manek finished with the team-high 19 points, Austin Reaves had himself a game with 16 points on 3 of 7 from deep while Kristian Doolittle struggled with 8 points on the night.

Following and aiding Holyfield’s splendid night, Edwards finished with 17 points shooting 75 percent from beyond the arc and Jahmi’us Ramsey (again without the mask) follows with a solid outing with 13 points and 3 rebounds.

Earlier in the week, Kevin McCullar was in the concussion protocol and was not said to play (according to Beard in the last press conference). However, the Wagner product suited up and produced the team-high in rebounding with 7 boards, two of which he grabbed immediately as he checked into the game.

McCullar’s 19 minutes proved to be big, and Beard said he played great tonight.

“He’s coming off a concussion protocol where he hasn’t been able to practice or even really shoot,” Beard said, “and then he gets through that with the doctors and all, and he gets cleared. The day he gets cleared, we’re having a light practice right, we’re not going to go contact a couple days before the game. So, he gets in there. So, I thought from where I was sitting and standing, he did a great job.”

Chris Clarke also got to play 7 minutes, in that grabbing 2 rebounds. Midway through the first half, Clarke tweaked his ankle again.

With the win, the Red Raiders get back to their winning ways and will head to the state’s capital to take on the Texas Longhorns, a Saturday 3 p.m. tipoff. The Longhorns are coming off a loss to the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks after keeping it close and competitive in the first half.