LUBBOCK, Texas – Zach Smith netted a career-high 18 points, but No. 6 West Virginia tallied the last eight points inside the final minute to snatch an 80-76 decision over the Texas Tech men’s basketball team Saturday at United Supermarkets Arena.

The Red Raiders (12-6, 2-5 Big 12) connected on 32-of-34 at the free throw line in a tightly-contested contest that featured 12 ties and 12 lead changes. Keys for West Virginia (15-3, 5-2 Big 12) were a 34-22 advantage in paint points, and the Mountaineers secured 23 of the game’s 34 points off turnovers.

“Hats off to West Virginia, they did what they had to win the game,” Texas Tech head coach Tubby Smith said. “They made the shots they had to make, and they got the stops they had to make at the end. Unfortunately, we didn’t. Tough loss for us, it was hard-fought game. Our kids played hard. I don’t know if we always played smart, but we played hard today.”

Smith knocked down 5-of-7 from the floor fueled by a trio of highlight reel dunks and sank a career-best eight free throws on nine attempts. He also added four rebounds, two blocks and two steals over his 36 minutes of action.

Toddrick Gotcher tallied 12 points and equaled a career-high with four steals. For Gotcher, it was his team-leading 12th game in double figures this season.

Texas Tech’s bench provided 40 points for the second consecutive game. Justin Gray and Aaron Ross picked up 11 points apiece on a combined 7-of-14 shooting. Ross reached 10-plus points for the fourth straight game, while Gray pumped in double figures for the fifth time in his last six outings.

C.J. Williamson garnered a career-best six points and grabbed two steals, while Devon Thomas chipped in six points and three assists. In his first extended Big 12 action, Jordan Jackson totaled career-highs with four points and three assists.

The Red Raiders compiled a 20-of-43 effort from the floor but misfired on 11 of their 15 three-point attempts which included all nine treys during the second half. Tech made the most of its opportunities at the charity stripe going 32-of-34.

West Virginia notched a 25-for-49 shooting performance and canned 8-for-19 from triple territory. The Mountaineers hit on 22-for-28 at the foul line.

Jaysean Page amassed a game-leading 22 points followed by Tarik Phillip’s 20 points. The duo was an efficient 6-of-9 shooting in the second half. Jonathan Holton added 13 points and six rebounds for the Mountaineers.

“They don’t allow you to run many plays,” Smith said. “They trap pick and rolls. They force you to go to different options. That’s what West Virginia does extremely well, press the ball, get up in you, and be physical. You still have to be willing to take what they give you. I thought we did that in the first half for the most part and during the second half too. If we don’t turn it over at the end and guard the three-point line better at the end we win the game, but we didn’t do that.”

The second half was played within one possession until the closing three minutes. The two teams were tied on seven occasions and traded the lead nine teams.

Trailing 67-66 at the 4:37 mark, Texas Tech ripped off six consecutive points over the next 1:48. Ross started the run with a pair of free throws, and Smith added a thunderous two-handed slam off a Gray missed jumper. Then, Gray rattled home a midrange jumper from the top of the key to give the Red Raiders their largest lead at 72-67 with 2:21 left.

Tech stayed ahead by two possessions after Evans and Smith answered WVU scores with a pair of free throws.

Phillip went to work in the closing minute for the Mountaineers. He connected on a deep trey on the left wing and went coast-to-coast for a traditional three-point on a driving layup off a steal to place WVU ahead 78-76 with 24 seconds remaining.

After a Tech timeout, Gotcher missed the go-ahead three-pointer. Gray scrambled to grab the offensive rebound and tossed the ball back towards midcourt to Keenan Evans, who was stripped by Phillip for a dunk and the four-point win for the Mountaineers.

The Red Raiders erased a nine-point hole with a late surge in the first half. Tech turned a 37-28 deficit into a 43-40 halftime advantage.

Smith ignited the flurry with a two-handed flush from Gotcher off a press breaker. Then, Smith returned the favor and found Gotcher for a three-ball. Thomas scooted through the lane and hit a reverse layup, and Williamson brought Tech within 39-37 after two free throws at the 1:01 mark.

Thomas drove inside and found a high-flying Smith for a one-handed dunk through contact. He finished the old-fashioned three-point play with a free throw to knot the score at 40-40 with 39 seconds to go. Williamson tacked on a steal and a dunk 16 seconds later to vault Tech to a 43-40 halftime lead.

“Guys like Justin Gray, Zach Smith, even Toddrick Gotcher diving for loose balls; that’s the way we’re going to have to play if we’re going to have any chance at competing,” Smith said. “They really showed a lot of toughness to be able to keep responding and recovering. We got off to a shaky start, but I think I saw more guys on the floor and diving for balls than I’ve seen in a while. I’m encouraged by it, it’s just tough when you lose a game like this.”

Texas Tech finishes a run of five of seven games against ranked opponents Tuesday when the Red Raiders travel to No. 1 Oklahoma. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by ESPN2.

Courtesy: TTU Sports Information