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Texas Tech struggles in loss to Kansas State

Terrence Shannon Jr. (1) attempts to make a drive on Nijel Pack (24)
Terrence Shannon Jr. (1) attempts to make a drive on Nijel Pack (24) (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Texas Tech struggled for the better part of the day and lost, 62-51, to Kansas State on Saturday morning. Were the struggles fatigue based by playing a fifth game in 11 days? Could it have been the early morning start time? Whatever excuse you’d like to point to, the Red Raiders simply weren’t good enough today, and that was reflective on the scoreboard and in the final stat sheet.

Texas Tech started off slow and it took a while for the offense to get going in Manhattan. The Red Raiders had only three points through the first 8:46 and found themselves in an early, 11-3, hole to start the game.

Bryson Williams helped break the ice by scoring 9 of his 20 points in the first half and gave Texas Tech the offensive jolt they desperately needed. The Red Raiders would go on an 8-0 scoring run, and they followed that up with a 9-0 scoring run to build a, 20-13, lead. The lead wouldn’t last long, however, as Nijel Pack would score 7 points late in the first period to spearhead a Wildcat scoring run, cutting the Red Raider lead down to, 28-26, at the half.

Kansas State would shoot 50 percent from the field and outscored Texas Tech, 36-23, in the second half. Mark Smith scored all 12 of his points after halftime and led the way for the Wildcats down the stretch. He was 5-of-6 from the field and hit two big threes in the final 3:30 to help seal the victory.

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There were a few glaring areas on the final stat sheet that really stood out in this game. The Red Raiders were outscored 21-8 in bench points, and they turned the ball over 18 times. Kansas State had 13 second chance points compared to zero from Texas Tech. The Red Raiders were out rebounded for the fourth time in their last five games, and they let a much smaller Wildcat basketball team beat them, 33-29, on the glass. Kansas State also had 16 assists compared to only 7 from Texas Tech.

The Red Raiders struggled shooting the ball as well (39.6%) and missed multiple shot attempts in the paint and around the rim. Texas Tech is now 1-4 this season when they shoot less than 43.7 percent from the field. Terrence Shannon Jr. was rusty in his return to action and didn’t score his first points until 4:50 remaining in the game.

When it comes to days like today, developing a case of amnesia wouldn’t be the worst thing for the Red Raiders. With Iowa State and West Virginia on the docket for this week, it’s crucial for Texas Tech to put this performance behind them and focus on getting back to playing their brand of team-centric basketball. The Red Raiders will look to get back on track against the Cyclones on Tuesday night.

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