LUBBOCK, Texas — Coming off of an upset loss at TCU and heartbreaking defeat to Kentucky, Texas Tech sorely needed a win against No. 12 West Virginia, and it got one. 

“We don’t say that very often, but it was a must-win for us,” Davide Moretti said.

The Red Raiders beat the Mountaineers 89-81, improving to 13-7 overall and 4-3 in Big 12 play. 

The game represented a complete turnaround from the teams’ last match-up, when the Red Raiders shot just 28.4 percent from the field. Wednesday night, that number was 54.3 percent. They also shot 64.7 percent from 3-point range.

Texas Tech got impressive scoring performances from three of its guards, as Terrence Shannon, Jahmi’us Ramsey and Davide Moretti each went over 20 points.

“I thought our guys were aggressive,” Chris Beard said. “They made courageous drives and they were playing to score, not playing not to make a mistake.”

Shannon was unavailable in that first match-up with West Virginia, and he made his presence felt Wednesday night. He drove to the rim aggressively, finishing tough layups and drawing an abundance of fouls, scoring 23 points.

“He’s an aggressive player, he’s a downhill driver and his shooting is getting so much better,” Beard said.

Ramsey, who’d topped 10 points just once in his last five games, rediscovered his stroke. The freshman made five 3-pointers, including a step-back that gave the Red Raiders a 10-point lead early in the second half. 

Moretti made all nine of his free throw attempts and scored 25 points. 

Texas Tech got off to a terrific start, mounting a lead as high as 11 points in the first half. Passing was key in the construction of that lead; the Red Raiders assisted on nine of 11 first half buckets, slipping well-timed passes through tight corridors for good looks at the rim. 

Shannon bounced the ball to Davide Moretti on a backdoor cut for one uncontested layup. And Chris Clarke, who is normally on the other end of assists, received a bullet from Jahmi’us Ramsey for his only two points. 

West Virginia was able to shave that lead to four by halftime, as Avery Benson knocked down Taz Sherman as he landed on a jumpshot for a 4-point play and Gabe Osabuohien took it to T.J. Holyfield for a layup in the half’s final seconds. 

The game got chippy in the second half, as four technical fouls were assessed. The teams also combined for 54 fouls on the night, resulting in 73 free throws.

“Whenever you play West Virginia it feels like this,” Beard said.

The Red Raiders’ strong shooting got them a 15-point lead in the latter half, but West Virginia forced turnovers to chip away.

Bob Huggins’ “Press Virginia” teams are notorious for their aggressive defense, and the Mountaineers forced the Red Raiders to cough it up 22 times. 

Still, Texas Tech’s hot shooting and steady defense was enough to negate the turnovers, as the Mountaineers were never able to get closer than six points late in the game.

The Red Raiders were 0-3 against ranked teams since beating No. 1 Louisville, and snapped that streak Wednesday.

The win was necessary for Texas Tech’s spot in the Big 12 standings, its NCAA Tournament resume and its momentum with No. 3 Kansas looming next.