Game Links:
Tortilla Tossin’ Player of the Game: Kerwin Walton, come on down. Walton went 6 of 7 including 5 of 6 from three, finishing with 17 points. He’s pretty much just a shooter and if he can get a free look, he’s pretty likely to knock it down.
The Motion:
- That was fun. Let’s talk about fun things.
- Kerwin Walton went off and that was absolutely necessary. One of the things that Texas Tech has been missing so much this year was/is outside shooting. That sort of thing was squarely on the shoulders of Isaacs and Obanor to an extent with Tyson getting some shots up as well. Walton’s specialty coming into this season was his 3-point shooting, but for whatever reason Adams wasn’t playing him (I really don’t know, but don’t know that I care to find out) and now since Isaacs is out, there wasn’t much of a choice. Walton was so efficient and without his 4 of 4 from the field in the 2nd half and 3 of 3 from deep for 11 points (which led the team) then Texas Tech doesn’t win.
- I was really happy to see an expanded bench and it paid off for Williams and Fisher, Williams playing 13 minutes and Fisher playing 22 with Washington, Alle, and Jennings each playing 6 minutes. That’s a good rotation and there’s no reason why that rotation shouldn’t continue when Isaacs and Aimaq get back. Fisher led the team with 9 rebounds, and had a block and 2 steals. Williams helped with point guard duties and had no turnovers, a steal and 5 points, including hitting one from deep. That’s not a ton of bench production, but this team needs to get some help from the bench. The starters don’t have enough juice to keep up so let the guys play.
- Kevin Obanor showed up in a bit way. He’s had a rough couple of games, but he was big and honestly, he should just continue to shoot a lot. Get him open looks and let him cook. Obanor making 8 of 15 for 22 to lead the team is big. Your best players have to show up for every games. Those are the rules.
- Texas Tech held LSU to 37% from the field, and that’s a positive on their court. Tougher defense is usually the key to everything.
- Some figures. Texas Tech had just 11 turnovers, but LSU had 10 so pretty even. LSU was able to capitalize on 2nd chance points as they scored 20 2nd chance points and had 17 offensive rebounds. Points in the paint was pretty even, 26-24 in favor of Texas Tech, and same for fast break points, 13-11 in favor of the Red Raiders.
- Jaylon Tyson was your best defender yesterday, really high stop percentage. Walton, Harmon, and Williams all had the best offensive rating for the evening and believe it or not, Williams in just 13 minutes had a +14.
- Head coach Mark Adams: “This is significant for a number of reasons. We needed to get a win. To get it on the road is an even bigger positive for us. I thought we played good basketball for the entire game. I thought we shared the ball and had individuals who stepped up. KO showed his leadership with over 20 points and played his heart out. Our bench played well and Kerwin had a big night for us. It’s encouraging to see.”
- Up next? Monday as Texas Tech hosts Iowa State with tip-off at 8:00 p.m.
Highlights