Fresh off arguably the most surprising performance on the opening day of Big 12 Conference play, Texas Tech gets back to work against an opponent who nearly pulled off the same kind of effort.
The Red Raiders entertain Oklahoma State in the second game of the league season on Tuesday in Lubbock, Texas, and both teams have cause for early optimism.
Texas Tech went to Austin and knocked off then-No. 20 Texas 78-67 on Saturday for a seventh win in a row with a strong performance from start to finish. In Stillwater, Oklahoma State lost a late lead to then-No. 18 Baylor and fell 75-70 in overtime despite a stout defensive effort.
Cowboy guard Bryce Thompson missed a 3-pointer with 7 seconds left in OT, marking the fifth time this season the Cowboys (8-6, 0-1 Big 12) have missed potential game-tying or game-winning shots in the final 10 seconds. That came after an OSU turnover with 19 seconds to go when Baylor was clinging to a 71-70 lead.
“That was probably the best 40 minutes of basketball we have played this year,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton said. “We’re still continuing to grow.”
The Red Raiders (12-2, 1-0) appear to have hit their growth spurt under first-year coach Grant McCasland.
With a restructured roster featuring several transfer portal additions and a handful of returnees led by Pop Isaacs, Texas Tech has gained momentum and hasn’t lost since the last weekend of November. The challenge last week was working through the news of a civil lawsuit for sexual assault filed against Isaacs.
Isaacs, who has been cleared to play by the university for now, scored 21 points against the Longhorns and notched six of the last nine points to help Texas Tech extend the lead.
Joe Toussaint and Warren Washington each provided 15 points for the Red Raiders, Toussaint with 13 in the first half to help build a lead that Texas could never overcome.
Oklahoma State couldn’t close out a tough defensive performance against Baylor despite leading 60-56 with 1:56 left in regulation after Brandon Garrison’s jumper, part of his career-best 20 points.
The Cowboys flustered Baylor into a 2-for-15 shooting performance from the 3-point arc and their backcourt defense has McCasland’s attention.
“They really guard the ball and get after it defensively,” McCasland said of Oklahoma State. “There is a lot of urgency with this game and knowing how they compete, we have to come out ready to match their intensity.”
–Field Level Media
