It was a tale of two halves in Lubbock on Saturday afternoon. TCU started the game 6-of-10 from behind the arc, and Texas Tech found themselves in a 13-point hole to start the game.
The Red Raiders finally got things going late in the first and were able build up some momentum headed into the half. Texas Tech opened the second half on a 31-7 scoring run and would cruise to a, 82-69, victory over the Horned Frogs.
“The way TCU was moving the ball, they were very disciplined,” Adams said. “We have a lot of respect for the way they came in and were ready to play. They were sharp, moved the ball and had great spacing.
“We really kind of got it going the last few minutes of the first half, and that momentum carried into most of the second half. The ball pressure, deflections, and getting steals were huge, and we scored a lot off our defense in the second half.
“Give TCU credit, they’re a very good basketball team. They have the type of team that is very disciplined in the way the share the ball, and their spacing makes them tough to beat.”
Texas Tech had a great game offensively, and they played efficient basketball on that end of the court. The Red Raiders shot 53.8 percent from the field, and their 82 points were the most they’ve scored in regulation during Big 12 play.
It was their defensive adjustments, however, that helped to spark the comeback and allowed the Red Raiders to pull away in the second half. Texas Tech forced 13 turnovers with 9 steals in the second half and finished with 20 forced turnovers in the game.
“They’re not a great three-point shooting team like us, so we backed off some guys and played a little bit more of a gap defense," Adams said. “Their ball movement was so good, and they were hitting all those threes.
“We couldn’t stay with them, so we felt like we had to press the ball and try to get some deflections. We tried to get them to hurry up a little bit more on offense and it seemed to work for us, so we kept that up most of the second half.”
Saturday’s win moves Texas Tech to 15-0 at home and the Red Raiders have now won 18 straight games at the United Supermarkets Arena. Adams said after the game that the crowd had big impact on how the team performed and were able to battle back.
“I was so proud of our fans,” Adams noted. “This was emotional game for TCU but also for us. Our guys got a little down when couldn’t stop them, and they hit all those threes.
“The coaching staff was trying to pick them up to motivate them and get their emotion more involved. I thought the student section and the fans were loud and rowdy, and I think our guys responded to them maybe even more than us.
“I’m just so proud of our guys, they were very resilient in coming back. They showed a lot of determination and character. A lot of that came from our guys just wanting to win and believing in themselves and the process but also, we have to give our fans a lot of credit.
“Don’t ever take for granted what a wonderful place this is to play.”
One area of concern for Texas Tech during this game was the status of Kevin McCullar. He went down following a three-point attempt with 4:08 remaining in the first half and appeared to be in a lot of pain. McCullar had to be assisted off the court and wouldn’t return to the game.
“That was just a freak accident,” Adams noted. “My understanding is he backed up after his shot and kind of hit coach Dixon’s foot. It’s an injury but nothing is broken. Looks like it’s just an ankle sprain right now.
“We’re hoping for the best and hopefully he’ll be ready for Baylor. We’ll just have to see how he progresses, but I know he’s getting treatment as we speak.”
The Red Raiders have stepped up all season when losing guys to injury and tonight was no different. Despite McCullar’s absence, Texas Tech had four players finish in double figures and Terrence Shannon Jr. led the team with 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
Bryson Williams bounced back with 16 points against TCU after being held to just 5 points and having his double-digit scoring streak snapped in Norman on Wednesday.
Davion Warren posted 12 points on an efficient 4-of-7 shooting, and Adonis Arms added 11 points for the Red Raiders on offense. Adams noted after the game that the depth of the team had a lot to do with the outcome today.
“If you look at how we shared minutes, Bryson had 16 points in less than 20 minutes,” Adams said. “This helps us keep the guys somewhat rested for the Baylor game.
“It also gives other guys opportunities to score in case somebody goes down, then somebody’s ready to fill in. There’s certainly a lot of advantages when you’re playing nine or 10 players.”
