(Video Courtesy: Texas Tech)
Press Release Provided by Texas Tech Athletics Department:
The Texas Tech men’s basketball team will square off with the nation’s top-ranked team for the second time this season when the Red Raiders travel to No. 1 Oklahoma Tuesday at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by ESPN2 in addition to being available on www.WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app. Dave Flemming and Miles Simon will serve as the announcing team.
The Texas Tech Sports Network will carry the game live on its flagship stations 97.3 FM, 100.7 FM and 950 AM in Lubbock. Brian Hanni and Chris Level will have the call. The radio broadcast also will be available on the radio affiliates of the Texas Tech Sports Network, online at www.TexasTech.com and the TuneIn Radio app.
Texas Tech (12-6, 2-5 Big 12) will look to bounce back from an 80-76 loss to No. 6 West Virginia where the Mountaineers scored the game’s last eight points inside the final minute. The Red Raiders have relied heavily on their bench play which have totaled 86 points over their last two games.
Tech stayed in a 7th place tie in the Big 12 standings with four of five league losses coming to Top 25 opponents by 10 points or less.
“I thought our guys responded in the right way against West Virginia especially after such a shaky start,” Texas Tech head coach Tubby Smith said. “They are a team that really tries to physically work you over. I was encouraged that we didn’t fold and that we fought back. We didn’t give in, and we had the game pretty much under control. In the end, we didn’t get the stops we wanted.”
Oklahoma (16-2, 5-2 Big 12) possesses the top spot in the Associated Press Top 25 for the second straight week and head into this week’s action in a four-way tie for first place with Baylor, Kansas and West Virginia in the Big 12 standings.
Last time out, the Sooners dished out 29 assists on 31 field goals and drained a season’s best 62 percent from the floor during an 82-72 win at Baylor on Jan. 23.
Tuesday’s game represents the 57th all-time meeting between the two schools where Oklahoma carries a 36-20 series advantage. The Sooners have won 28 of the 40 meetings as Big 12 members since the 1996-97 season. Texas Tech’s last win was a 68-60 decision on Feb. 12, 2014 in Norman.
About Texas Tech
The Red Raiders top two scorers are Devaugntah Williams and Toddrick Gotcher, who have combined 23.4 points per game and knocked down 55 of team’s 94 three-pointers. They have tallied a 12 double figures apiece. Gotcher is ranked among the Big 12’s Top 10 with 1.8 three made per game and a 39.3 three-point percentage.
Zach Smith has come away with 9.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. He poured in a career-high 18 points versus West Virginia and shot over the 60 percent mark for the 10th time on the season. On the defensive end, Smith has tallied seven blocks in the last two games.
Keenan Evans has picked up 7.4 points and 2.6 assists per game through 18 games as the starting point guard. He has distributed 34 of his 47 assists during the last 12 games.
Matthew Temple made his first career start during the West Virginia game. He has posted 3.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per game in conference play.
The Tech bench continues to be fueled by Justin Gray and Aaron Ross. Ross has registered double figures in four consecutive games en route to 13.0 points per game on 15-of-27 from the floor whereas Gray has collected 10-plus points in five of his last six outings to claim 12.3 points per game.
Devon Thomas and C.J. Williamson have stepped up their production for the Red Raiders. Thomas has boosted his averages to 5.5 points and 3.5 assists per game followed by Williamson’s 4.5 points and 1.5 assists per game in Tech’s last two outings. Both players tallied six points against West Virginia last time out.
Texas Tech will be without Norense Odiase for the second straight game. He suffered a foot injury in the first half at TCU. Odiase has garnered 9.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game and reached 10-plus points in eight of his last 13 games.
About Oklahoma
The Sooners bounced back from an 82-77 setback at Iowa State on Jan. 18 with an 82-72 road win over Baylor on Jan. 23 in last week’s action and are among a four-way tie at the top of the Big 12 standings.
Buddy Hield, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year, has fired in 25.7 points per game which ranks first in the Big 12 and fourth nationally. He has knocked down over 50 percent of his field goals and over 50 percent of three-point attempts. Hield has dialed up 30-plus points six times on the season highlighted by five of his last 12 outings. He secured 27 points sparked by seven treys at Iowa State on Jan. 18.
Joshua Woodard has notched 14.9 points, 3.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game. All three marks are good enough for seventh place on the Big 12 leaderboard. He has connected on an efficient 46-of-85 shooting clip from triple territory. Woodard has reached double figures 14 times and secured his fourth 20-plus point effort at Baylor on Jan. 23.
Isaiah Cousins has amassed 12.7 points and 4.6 assists per game from the point guard position. He exploded for a career-high 26 points at Iowa State on Jan. 18 and nearly secured his third double-double of the season with 13 points and nine assists at Baylor on Jan. 23.
Ryan Spangler has posted close to a double-double with 10.6 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. The 9.9 rebounds are second while his 54.1 shooting percentage is sixth in the Big 12 rankings. In fact, Spangler has shot over 50 percent in 32 of his last 38 outings and owns 24 career double-doubles which ranks third among Big 12 active players.
OU’s top bench performer is Dinjiyl Walker who has chipped in 4.2 points per game with 16 of his 26 field goals coming as treys. Dante Buford has upped his mark to 5.7 points per game off the bench during the Sooners seven conference games.
“We are going to have to play a lot better than what we did against West Virginia,” Smith said. “Last time we were in Norman, they beat us by 45. It was one of the worst losses I’ve been a part of. Our job will be to handle the ball and take care of it, which we didn’t do a good job against West Virginia. We need to push the ball in transition and get back in transition. Those two things along with rebounding the ball will be critical.”
Up Next
Texas Tech steps out of conference action and travels to Arkansas Saturday for the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Tipoff is on-tap for 3 p.m. CT from Bud Walton Arena, and the game will be televised by ESPNU in addition to being available on www.WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app.