Red Raiders cruise past Cowboys, 81-74
When the season ends, Pat Knight wants Texas Tech’s composite statistics to say the Red Raiders made as many free throws as their opponents attempted.
Tech more than reached that mark Saturday afternoon.
Texas Tech's John Roberson shoots against the defense of Oklahoma State's, from left to right, Obi Muonelo, Ray Penn, and Matt Pilgrim during their game Saturday at United Spirit Arena in Lubbock. Texas Tech defeated Oklahoma State 81-74. (Merissa Ferguson/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)
Texas Tech's Mike Singletary rounds Oklahoma State's Obi Muonelo during their game Saturday at United Spirit Arena in Lubbock. Texas Tech defeated Oklahoma State 81-74. (Merissa Ferguson/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)
The Raiders posted 36 points from the free-throw line on their way to defeating Oklahoma State 81-74, avenging OSU’s 29-point win in Stillwater, Okla., to open the Big 12 Conference season. Tech shot 78.3 percent from the line, just one percent better than OSU, but made 36 of 46 free throws compared to 17 of 22 for the Cowboys.
“It’s not by accident,” Knight said. “That’s why we drive the ball, that’s why we cut and move, so they hold us. If they’re going to foul you, they’re going to foul you.”
Tech (15-7, 3-5 in Big 12) has scored 424 points at the free-throw line this season, an average of 19.3 per game, but is only out-scoring opponents by 3.4 points. Knight said this year the team wins games at the free-throw line, something that never happened in his first full season as head coach.
It certainly happened Saturday. Tech made just nine field goals in the first half but owned a 35-26 lead at the break thanks to 14-of-17 free-throw shooting. Nick Okorie made a pair of 3-pointers to start the game, but the rest of the team was 0-of-9 from the field after almost nine minutes. Tech used a 27-5 run to build its lead late in the half, with 14 of those points coming on free throws.
“We were being aggressive, driving to the basket, taking what the defense gave us,” Tech point guard John Roberson said. “We were playing hard. We weren’t settling for jump shots.”
Roberson admits he was particularly motivated against the Cowboys, after he “put up a doughnut,” going scoreless when the teams met in Stillwater. This time the junior point guard scored a season-high 28 points and dealt three assists that pushed him ahead of Stan Bonewitz as Tech’s career assist leader with 436.
“The little point guard, I’m sure he was not too happy with his performance the first go-around against us, and he did something about it,” OSU coach Travis Ford said of Roberson. “That’s what good
players do.”
Ford said his team got cocky about last month’s win, and didn’t understand how motivated Tech would be. OSU guard James Anderson, who came into the game as the Big 12’s leading scorer with 22.8 points per game, scored just 10 before fouling out. As a team the Cowboys committed 21 turnovers, which Tech turned into 17 points.
After the game, OSU forward Matt Pilgrim said he was stunned by the loss.
“I felt we should have beat them just the same way we did last time, to be honest,” Pilgrim said. “I thought we were always in this game. Nothing in my mind ever thought that we were going to lose to Texas Tech.”
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Awww, poor Pilgrim. Can’t get all the calls at home and on the road. Had the game been called fairly, you and your cowclowns would have had at least 10 more fouls called against you.
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How about that, the blind squirrel found a nut!! LMAO
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Great effort guys! Great game plan coach Pat!! Step by step…
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I was amazed by the horrific calls that were made by the reffs. But good win!! Work on rebounding.
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The guys are fun to watch this year. They’re learning to win, and when they make mistakes they LEARN from them! (Hear that ladies?) Also, I’m seeing some FIGHT in these guys that I didn’t see a lot of last year. Pat still has things to learn as a coach, but I’m enjoying watching his team play–we should be at least in the NIT this year. Ready to see some post season play–keep fightin’ Raiders!
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BTW, I’d pay a premium priced ticket to watch ‘ole Bobby CHEW OUT one of these SORRY officials just one more time. Just ONCE more?
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I don’t care what anyone says, Pat Knight is building a team…TTU Men’s basketball has never been a powerhouse. He will have to do what Coach Leach did–and that is win when he shouldn’t and prove that heart, brains, and desire can beat over-confident talent. What I don’t see is that Coach Curry’s teams learn anything or improve. I’ll be happy to give Pat Knight a few more years because I see slow but steady progress. This was a good win, and this team has proven it can play with the best–they need consistency. Curry has shown she can drive a program from an elite team to the cellar of her conference. FIRE HER and let’s start building both programs.
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Agreed Chookie the Whookie……I never like to blame refs in any games, especially those we win. But is it me or is Big12 officiating getting really bad. There is no consistency. Since conference play has started, I have seen probably 15 to 20 fouls on David Tyrui that have not been called. That no call on Tyrui when Moses all but threw him into the third row might have been the worse no call I have ever seen. I don’t know how Pat has been so calm this year. I would have already thrown at least 5 chairs in conference play.
I thought the officiating was really bad at A&M. Big 12 refs need to stop worrying about keeping the number of fouls called on each team close. Just call the fouls. Everyone that knows anything about basketball understands the motion offense is designed to get more attempts at the free throw line. One would expect Tech to get more attempts at the foul line. I don’t even think opposing coaches would argue with that.
I don’t know…..but watching Big East and ACC games, it just looks like officiating is more consistent.
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don’t know if the word ‘cruise’ is the right word to use. when Tech tried to ‘cruise’ in the fourth, osu made a little comeback and made the game closer than it should have been.
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