Player of the Game | Look no further than senior leader Keenan Evans. He went off for 31 points on 7-12 FGs (4-6 3pt), hit all 13 of his FT attempts, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds. He took the game on his shoulders and scored 10 points in the final 3 minutes to seal a victory for the Red Raiders.
The man of the hour. #WreckEm #4To1 pic.twitter.com/ctQY0MTbzr
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) January 27, 2018
Stat of the Game | We shot well from downtown in this game, but I was more impressed with our free throw makes. Evans contributed 13-13 on this, but Texas Tech went 23-28 (82.1%). Making these shots from the charity stripe helped keep the game within distance for the Red Raiders for most of the game. It was the deciding factor that helped us push our lead in the final minutes to stay ahead.
How the Game was Won | This was a back and forth battle all game, up until the last 3 minutes and 30 seconds of the 2nd half. Texas Tech looked like the better team in the first half, going into halftime up 30-26. The 2nd half Texas Tech slowed down and let South Carolina back in the game. At around 5 minutes left in the game, the Gamecocks took the lead 58-53 on a three-pointer. This is where Evans stepped up to save the day.
Texas Tech turned it up on defense and South Carolina went cold. No one could stop Evans making his three point shots, or driving the lane to get fouled and hitting his free throws. The Gamecocks looked shocked as Texas Tech took them completely out of the game for the last few minutes.
Turning Point | When Evans made the drive to the basket, and dropped the ball in the bucket while getting hacked. At around 47 seconds left in the contest, he took the ball from about the middle of the key beyond the arc, and drove to the left to flip the ball in while drawing the foul. Then he hit his free throw. It was at that point that I felt Tech had this game in the bag.
Team Observations | This group is just so damn resilient. The 2 losses to Texas and Iowa State seemed to suck the wind out of everyone, and it was thought that things would come crashing down. Keenan Evans was in a slump during that stretch, but sure came roaring out of it with two back to back huge games against OSU and South Carolina. Texas Tech has shown that they are not going anywhere, and still a top contender in the Big 12.
This solid road win against a good SEC team goes a long way. Let’s keep rolling into the second half of the conference schedule by beating up on the Longhorns that come to Lubbock on Wednesday. Wreck ’em Tech!
The defense took over, and Keenan put it on ice. Here are the highlights. #WreckEm #4To1 pic.twitter.com/7pxmSlh3yy
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) January 27, 2018