BY JEFF WALKER l A-J SPORTS EDITOR

Two desperate teams square off today when Texas Tech hosts Texas A&M.

The Aggies (18-8, 4-7) last season became the first team to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament with an 8-8 record in Big 12 Conference play. If the Aggies are going to duplicate that feat, they can only lose one more game with five to play.

“What you try to do with your team at meetings and practices is try to keep them focused on what you’re trying to do,” A&M head coach Mark Turgeon said. “We just talk about doing the best we can and then we’ll look up and see where we are. … There are a lot of great teams that have great years and don’t make that tournament. We would like to get in the NCAA Tournament, but our goal right now is to beat Texas Tech. Our guys know what’s at stake and what we need to do.”

The Red Raiders (12-14, 2-9) are in a different place. Already with nine conference losses, Tech’s only chance to make the field of 65 is to win the conference tournament, which comes with an automatic bid.

Following Wednesday’s home loss to Oklahoma State, Tech associate head coach Chris Beard said the team knows where they stand and hasn’t given up on this season.

Tech senior guard Alan Voskuil, who became the 32nd player in Tech history to reach 1,000 points, echoed his coach’s point on Friday.

“That’s been a goal from ours from day one, to make the tournament,” Voskuil said. “We know that because of what’s happened thus far, winning the conference tournament is our only chance to get there. We still make that a priority right now.”

Tech won’t win the conference tournament by beating the Aggies, but the importance of this game is what lies ahead for the Red Raiders. After hosting the Aggies, Tech has four more regular-season games. The two at home are against the top two teams in the conference, Oklahoma and Kansas, The two on the road are against Texas and Iowa State. The Longhorns and Cyclones play well enough at home to cause Tech problems, but the Red Raiders also have yet to win a true road contest this season.

Translation: Tech needs to finish strong heading into the conference tournament.

“Our goal from day one has been to try and get better as a team,” Beard said. “We’re playing a young team … We’re playing for the future, but in college basketball everybody gets to play in a tournament. That tournament leads to an at-large bid, so we’re certainly still playing for something in terms of postseason.”

The Red Raiders are trying to stop a three-game losing streak, something the Aggies did on Monday with an 81-66 home win against rival Texas.

While Tech’s task of playing the postseason is monumental, the Aggies won’t have an easy road in their final five games. After playing here, A&M has road contests against Nebraska and Colorado and home games against Iowa State and Missouri.

“We understand that this game is important to them,” Voskuil said. “It should be just as important to us. We understand that and know what’s at stake.”

To comment on this story:
jeff.walker@lubbockonline.com l 766-8735
terry.greenberg@lubbockonline.com  l 766-8700