Tech suffers first loss of season against Shockers, 85-83
WICHITA, Kan. — David Tairu’s last-second heroics couldn’t quite pull it off.
Tairu made a freakish, off-balance 3-point basket with 1 second on the clock to put No. 16 Texas Tech within one possession of tying or winning Saturday’s road game against Wichita State. But even after making 7 of 10 second-half 3-pointers, four of them in the last 55 seconds, Tech could not come back from a 14-point halftime deficit in an 85-83 loss, its first of the season.
Wichita State's Graham Hatch shoots over Texas Tech's Theron Jenkins in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009, in Wichita, Kan. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Fernando Salazar)
Wichita State's Toure Murry shoots against Texas Tech's John Roberson in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009, in Wichita, Kan. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Fernando Salazar)
Tech coach Pat Knight said after the game that he knew the non-conference road trip could pose a problem, but he hopes the experience helps later this season.
“A lot of schools would schedule somebody you never heard of at home,” Knight said. “We put our guys into the fire by playing Wichita State at their place. If I schedule weak teams at home just to stay ranked, that doesn’t do anything for us.”
Five Red Raiders reached double figures in scoring, led by 24 points from John Roberson. Nick Okorie added 16, Mike Singletary had 13, Tairu finished with 11 and D’walyn Roberts scored 10.
Clevin Hannah had 24 points to lead the Shockers (10-1), while JT Durley added a career-high 20.
“I want to thank my team,” Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall said, “when that lead dwindled and we lost the lead and it became a three- or four- or five-point deficit, for not folding, for continuing to fight back.”
Tech (9-1) trailed by eight points with 39.9 seconds to play.
Roberson then converted a 3-point play, in which he was tripped and stepped inside the 3-point arc just before releasing his shot. Roberson fouled to send Hannah to the line, where he made both, but Brad Reese drained a 3 to cut the lead to 81-78 with 28.5 seconds to play.
Graham Hatch made two free throws before Tairu’s wild bucket to keep Tech in the game.
“We got lucky and hit some 3s,” Knight said. “Getting hot, that has nothing to do with the game, it’s just getting lucky, hitting some desperation shots, making them scramble.”
The Raiders’ field-goal shooting rose to 70 percent in the second half, but they couldn’t make up for 25.8 percent shooting in the first half.
It took almost four minutes before either team got on the board, the first points coming when Durley sank a pair of free throws 3:59 into the game. Tech led 13-9 with 8:58 left in the half, but 4 minutes without a field goal left the Raiders down 21-14 before Robert Lewandowski made a layup.
With its forwards in early foul trouble, Tech played Roberson, Tairu and Mike Davis together for a stretch late in the first half.
“We were scrambling,” Knight said. “We just weren’t getting anything from our inside players, so we were trying to get more athletic, try different things to keep us in the game.”
Tech trailed by three when Wichita State went on a 10-0 run, ultimately taking a 35-21 lead into the break. The Shockers shot 44.4 percent from the field in the first half, compared to 25.8 by Tech, and 81.8 percent from the free-throw line.
“We couldn’t buy a bucket in the first half,” Knight said.
Down 14 at the half, which matched Tech’s largest deficit at TCU earlier this month, Tech came back to the court and began chipping away at the lead, first with a 9-4 run. Okorie dunked to cut the Shocker lead to five, then hit a pair of free throws a minute-and-a-half later to cut it to four points.
“Three straight times they scored with no defense,” Marshall said.
“That’s credit to them. They’ve got some great athletes and they exploited that. They knew they were going to have to score a lot of points quickly to come back in.”
Wichita State made 11 consecutive free throws in the final 1:05, thwarting Tech’s comeback effort.
The loss ends Tech’s longest season-opening winning streak in 80 years. The Red Raiders are back at United Spirit Arena on Tuesday to face Stanford, their third Pac-10 Conference opponent of the season.
Knight said road games in Wichita and later this month at New Mexico will be vital when his team begins Big 12 Conference play in three weeks.
“We open up at Oklahoma State,” he said. “If we didn’t do this and play New Mexico, I don’t like to think what would happen in Stillwater.”
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Tough loss, but this will only make us better.
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actually, that 1996 team won 23 in a row, and the TCU halftime defecit was 5, not 13, though TCU’s biggest lead was 14.
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Playing on road is great, but object is to win on road. Not beating anyone shooting 25 percent for a half. Pat Knight needs to stop bashing his “bigs” publicly and coach them up. Coach Knight, it’s just like raising kids: public praise, private correction. Show me a parent who’s threatening and repeating with their little unruly Johnny in the grocery store, and I’ll show you someone who’s too lazy and selfish to properly parent.
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Straight shooter you are an idiot! Wreck em Tech!
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Read the statement Ralph:
“…season-opening winning streak”
Straight shooter
The kinds of parents that allow their child to continue to be obnoxious in public, rather than discipline them, are, in fact the the ones being selfish. They show complete disregard for everyone else around them so as not to damage their child’s fragile ego. Their kids act that way because they know that their parents won’t discipline them. Heaven forbid they should hurt little Johnny’s feelings. Too, their so called “private correction” is apparently so benign as to be ineffective. I see those pain-in-the-ass kinds of kids all the time, everywhere. They belong to you?
I’d hate to think that our “bigs” are so thin skinned that they would not respond to their failure in this game with greater effort (They damn sure need to). If so, then these 18-22 year old young men (not kids), need to mature emotionally and then grow a pair.
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Reply to Straight Shooter….Difference is we are not talking about “little” unruly Johnny here. We are talking about grown adults/college men. Coach Knight would do anything to fight for or defend his players. Motivating and making them the best they can be on and off the court is part of it. Motivation can be done in many different ways including the ways that you mention. Coach Knight has used the tactics you mentioned and will use them more again but has chosen the way he did in this scenario for a reason…..He knows his own team better than anyone else including you and I. Don’ take offense or be so critical. Major college sports requires alot including mental toughness. The players know this and in the end wouldn’t want it any other way. The players and coaches all have 1 goal in common and that is to build a winning program that competes not only @ the Big 12 level but nationally as well. Different things motivate people in different ways. In the end it will make them better and prepare them for more challenges to come both on and off of the court.
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This is no “Shock” … just wait until The Pit.
This team is improved, but NOT enough to win consistently on the road and especially in the Big 12. Maybe at Baylor or Nebraska or Colorado they have a chance to win a road game or two.
This team hasn’t been mentally tough in a long, long time. Mental toughness is the ability to play every minute of the game. Not commit five turnovers on five possessions.
Heck, remember what Leach said after the Baylor game? “This team doesn’t know how to play well except every other game.
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Fred…..love your positive attitude. One loss on the road is not going to keep this team from doing something special. No one is going to go through a full season undefeated.
Straight Shooter……I say we fire Pat and hire you. I think being a parent qualifies you to be a Big 12 coach. YOu would take this team somewhere it has never been.
COme one guys…..lets support our Red Raiders. I don’t see this loss hurting us much in the rankings. If we can get into Conference play with only 1 or 2 losses, I think that puts us in perfect position to make the tourney this year. I think making the tourney would be a great accomplishment for this team and set them up for something really special next year……this is still a young team who looks to be a year ahead of the plan.
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Hi, I’m Ben.
Let’s support the Red Raiders and never, ever say anything, but: “We are wonderful, support your team, buy a banner and put it in your yard. Nothing is wrong. We are wonderful. Shame on you for handing out criticism for lack of focus.”
Hi, I’m a Sunshine Pumper, don’t you love, love, love all Tech athletes, even the volleyball team that didn’t win a game?
Smiley face, smiley face. We wil make the NCAA tournament. Yeah, team. Yee Haw. Raider Power.
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I dont think you’re going to be able to win many games when you consistently go into the half trailing, sometimes by double digits. Its great that they have been able to turn it on in the second half and make up the deficit but that tactic is not going to work against quality teams. Gotta learn to play the first half with the same urgency and effort as they have been playing the second half of games. Just my thoughts on some of the things I’ve seen.
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WS has been and is a good basketball program. They have great fans and play well. One loss does not a season lose. THe first half for Tech, but they came back. It’s all good training for the Big XII.
Tech Alum
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Love reading your comments! Your guys got Whopped…by a much smaller, less experienced team! And yes, we do have the best fans and fan experience in an arena, right here in Wichita. You must make the next road whoppin! But I bet Tech won’t make that trip again. GO SHOX!
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Tech will lose another game or two before conference play starts. Yes, they are improved from last year, but not a top 20 team yet. Just as one loss doesn’t define the season, one win (Washington) doesn’t define a top 20 team. Consistent play against top teams defines top programs. Tech isn’t there yet. However, Coach Knight has them moving in the right direction.
Basketball is a game of runs, so one must expect point swings in a game. To be competitive game in and game out, Tech must mitigate opponents runs to single digit runs. Top teams do so with defense, not offense. Defense is also ty[ically what initiates or sparks offensive runs. Tech isn’t a consistently tough enough defensive team, which will hurt them in conference play. Our big men just aren’t athletic enough, which will result in frequent foul trouble.
Tech will defend their home court well enough in Big 12 play, but the road will be tough. I believe they will win 6-9 conference games this year, and will make post season play. Frankly, I’d like to see them go NIT. They’d have a chance of going deep in the tournament helping them immensely next year. NCAA tourney will be short lived.
Guns Up!
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Tech will not play 50% ball in the B12. All the preseason wins against small schools don’t count. UDub is not a top 25 team, although they were ranked, much like TTU, early in the season. I see 6-10 in the conference. Probably an NIT bid. While supportive of TTU, I’m not blind – this team doesn’t have top 25 talent. Not close.
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As far as losses go, this one isn’t too bad…only by 2 points, on the road, to a 9-1 Wichita State team (now 10-1). They play some good basketball in the Missouri Valley Conference…nothing to be too ashamed about for Tech.
Looking at the big picture so far, I don’t think too many people predicted them to be 9-1 through their first ten games and ranked in the top 20 in both polls. So let’s give some credit where it’s due. Now they need to get back in the win column against Stanford, then that New Mexico game will be another tough one. They should be 12-2 at the worst heading into Big XII play.
In each of the road games against TCU and WSU, they’ve gotten off too terrible starts. Hopefully they correct that going forward.
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I think the Red Raiders are fine and will learn from the loss. The Shockers have always had a good program. I finished back to back 20 mile runs this weekend. I suggest all the nay sayers do the same. A little running might create a positive attitude! Wreck em Tech!
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I am a wichita st. student and i would just like to say thank you to texas tech for being willing to have a home and home series with us, you’re braver than the chickenhawks and the scardycats of ku and k-state.
I would also like to say that you have a very classy team, especially singletary who had a quite a few bs travel calls on him and kept his head.
You have won quite a few new fans in wichita
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And I quote! “If I schedule weak teams at home just to stay ranked, that doesn’t do anything for us”! “A lot of schools would schedule somebody you never heard of at home.” Getting hot, that’s nothing to do with the game, it’s just getting lucky………” Better lucky than good; playing a early schedule loaded with no-name cupcakes (at home). Should have kept playing the 5A high school teams, might have made it to the Top 10! LOL The guy is a mental dwarf! WSU is a mid-major in a mid-major conference! They should have lost to WSU last year but the refs were “homers”! Isn’t that what you fans say when Tech losses on the road??!!
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National ranking, THUD!!
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Okay, they lost one road game…get over it.
Really, in the scheme of the whole year it’s not a huge deal won or lose. I’m just not that alarmed that they lost to a good team at home.
All of the mid-major type talk needs to die down (saying Tech shouldn’t ever lose to a “mid-major”)…that’s a far greater deal in football than it is in Div I basketball. If you look at the NCAA tourney over the last several years there have been quite a few “mid-major” teams that made deep runs.
Tech will be fine!
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Was in Wichita and saw the game. Tech played an amazing 2nd half and seemed to shake the dust from their boots (is that how you say it in Texas).
There is no shame in losing to Wichita State in Wichita. It was my first game at Koch and was extremely impressed by the crowd, arena, noise level, and game.
Depending on mental toughness and what I saw yesterday, I see Tech coming in at around 4-5 in the Big XII.
Anyway, good game and keep your heads held high. The Shockers play some good basketball at Koch Arena and are tough to beat at home.
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ut
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Toigh loss, but Tech can play with anyone in the nation,lots of talent on this team and they are getting better and Pat seems to getting better as a coach also,cant wait to see Wagner on this team, go Tech, start another 9 game win streak..
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Nick, Freddie, and Prspector: Tech will continue to improve this year in basketball! UT: Yes the University of TULSA does have
and excellent basketball team!
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I imagine WSU was actually favored in this game anyway, though I didn’t see the line.
Ridiculous thinking by some of these folks. Even if we get drilled by 15 at the Pit, I still think this team has the ability to get to 12-2 non conf, and 10-6 in conference play.
They’ll challenge many teams and will rarely if at all get blown out!
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Yep! Just as I said — Wichita was a 4.5 pt fave.
http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/college-basketball-lines-predictions-saturday-167874
8:05
Texas Tech
at Wichita St.
Favorite
Wichita St by 4.5
Over/Under
137.5
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some bold talking, we all know who will win the Big 12 this year. bring on the Lakers, the Cavs, the Magic.
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Facts are these (from a middle-aged ex-basketball coach): Tech is 9-1. They lost to a good team on an enemy court. It happens. The one thing that I have noticed over a couple of seasons now is that Pat has to call a T.O. in the first minute and a half MOST of the time….because the opposing team is outplaying-outhustling-out-toughing the RRaiders once the game begins.
Fact: If, like someone above mentioned, that the Tech cagers could only begin the game with the same intensity that they play with in the second half when behind……then, we’d really have something special.
And, oh by the way, it is early in the season yet, and it can be corrected. It won’t take the Coach’s rantings, yellings, etc….but, a gut-check by the players to be in total uniformity and on the same page to challenge themselves to TAKE it to the opponent once the tip-off begins……challenge each other to deny a field goal in the first 3 minutes, say, as an example.
Having such short-term goals, and with everyone’s absolutely blood-oath commitment, WILL change the dynamics of Tech’s season. I attended my alma mater’s game here in Fort Worth, and TCU was just out-hustling Tech in every way; Pat called a quick time out, and it seemed to change the dynamic, thankfully (I rooted for Tech, to tell you the truth), but IF Tech had come out and played smart, with hustle, they wouldn’t find themselves down 14 points in most any game, because their talent level IS a top 25-caliber level.
Go Tech. Suck up your guts, make a pre-game commitment to reach a short-term goal, and DO IT !
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Country Mart,
We’re not as impressed of you as you are of yourself. I’m sure you strutted in the mirror after each 20 miler. Put on body armor and a full ruck and hump it miles in 110+ degree heat in an environment with an enemy that shoots real bullets. Oh, and not just on one day, but for 365. Then pipe up with your arogant bull.
Guns up raiders!
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Good job coach Knight! We may have something here. Keep it up!!
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Thanks to the Jayhawk fan.
Very classy.
I hope coach Knight uses this loss as a building block. He’s seen a legend work the mental aspect for years.
I think we’ll keep improving and be fine.
Let’s turn out & support the team Tuesday night.
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As an outsider I will say I’m impressed with the improvement TT has shown this season. Think you will continue to improve and give several at the top fits. I will say WSU is very well coached. In my opinion a better coach than the one he replaced that is at A&M. Time will prove that. Left with a bare cupboard and has made steady improvement. It takes time for a young team and new players to gel. Once TT start playing complete games they will be really good. I know as a KSU fan it is a game I’m not putting a W by. Playing it Lubbock this season will be tough. Hope you will all but one left on your schedule. Get those Horns.
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