On the Pitch
Texas Tech soccer defeated Baylor on Saturday in the Big 12 Championships, 2-1, with goals from Taylor Zdrojewski and Storie Sexton. They will take on Kansas on Wednesday night in one of the semifinal games, first touch is at 7:00 p.m.
On the Court (Volleyball)
Texas Tech volleyball took down UCF in straight sets and now are above .500, 12-11 and 4-7 overall. They’ll host Baylor on Wednesday evening.
On the Diamond
Team Black secured a 6-4 win on Friday to take a 2-0 lead behind Antonelli Savattere’s 3-5 performance at the plate. On Sunday, Team Red won 12-11 behind a Damian Bravo performance. Game 4 is on Wednesday.
On the Court (Basketball)
The Lady Raiders will be in action tonight at 6:00 p.m. against Incarnate Word at the United Supermarkets Arena, Texas Tech women’s basketball is celebrating its 50th season:
The Lady Raiders are made up of 10 upperclassmen on a team of 15. The team is led by the junior class, who boasts eight players in it – Kilah Freelon, Jasmine Shavers, Denae Fritz, Adlee Blacklock, Sarengbe Sanogo, Ivana Krajina, Jada Wynn and Bailey Maupin. The two seniors on the team are Jordyn Merritt and Maya Peat. Of the six transfers on the team, half of them have experience in the NCAA Tournament – Fritz with Iowa State and Baylor, Blacklock with Oregon State and Jalynn Bristow with Iowa State.
Texas Tech is returning six of its top scorers from a season ago in Shavers (15.4ppg), Maupin (14.1ppg), Merritt (8.1ppg), Kilah Freelon (7.9 ppg), Wynn (4.8ppg) and Loghan Johnson (4.4ppg). Last year, the team also ranked 67th nationally after forcing 18.15 turnovers per game. Merritt and Freelon are two of the best shot blockers on the team, recording 49 total between both last year. Maupin and Shavers also led the way in takeaways with a team-best 42 steals each.
Texas Tech men’s basketball will tip-off tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m., hosting Bethune-Cookman. There will be a preview & game day thread ready tomorrow.
On the Gridiron
When: Saturday, November 9th @ 3:00 pm
Where: Jones AT&T Stadium | Lubbock, TX
TV & Streaming: FOX
Radio: TuneIn Radio
The Line: Colorado -3
Weather: Sunny, 64-37
Texas Tech football opens as a 3-point dog against Colorado, which isn’t that surprising given everything and fans wanting to overreact when there is a win or loss. I would expect that line to go up as right now 100% of the bets are on Colorado.
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams on how Texas Tech seems to make a run every November and there still being a lot to play for:
“Definitely, we’ve got more to go,” the Tech linebacker said. “I think a bowl game is the floor for us. I think this team has a lot left, a lot of life in us. Through this losing streak we’ve had, I think we’ve had guys with a good head on their shoulders, and so to be able to keep playing and get this win is very gratifying.”
Could be meaningful, too. Tech’s upset at Jack Trice Stadium, coupled with an even more stunning upset by Houston against Kansas State, left the Red Raiders (6-3, 4-2 in the Big 12) tied for fourth in the conference with K-State, whom they don’t play. But BYU (8-0, 5-0) could be a paper tiger, Iowa State (7-1, 4-1) still has to play K-State (7-2, 4-2), and Tech gets its shot at surprising Colorado (6-2, 4-1) at 3 p.m. Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams had his game story including Tahj Brooks on the game-winning play:
The third false-start penalty of the drive moved it back to the 6. After Cyclones safety Malik Verdon broke up a pass into the end zone, Tech offensive coordinator Zach Kittley put the Red Raiders into a tricky formation. Two tight ends, Morton and Kelly deployed in a four-man pod to the left, but Brooks took a direct snap and swept right and into the end zone behind a sustained block from tight end Jalin Conyers.
“It was like an outside zone to the right,” Brooks said. “He put it in my hands, and just go get in the end zone at that point. I knew that moment was going to be special, especially my guy Jalin Conyers was blocking the edge. I know if we get that around the edge sealed, that’s touchdown.”