Free-Throw Failures Doom Texas Tech Against West Virginia

The Texas Tech basketball team dropped a winnable game to West Virginia in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament, due in large part to horrible free-throw shooting.

A disturbing and ugly wart has formed on the face of the Texas Tech basketball team at the worst possible time. As the NCAA Tournament approaches and the season nears its apex, the Red Raiders have become dreadful at the free-throw line.

That flaw was fatal on Friday night as Tech made just 11-21 (52.4%) from the line in a 66-63 loss to West Virginia. The defeat ended any hopes of a Big 12 title and more importantly, severely hampered the Red Raiders chances of being placed in Dallas by the selection committee for next weekend’s first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

"“The free-throw line really got us tonight.” Head coach Chris Beard said following the defeat, his teams fifth in its last seven games. “But that’s basketball. Nobody shoots more free-throws in practice or individual workouts than we do. So you win some, you lose some with that. It’s certainly disappointing.”"

What was most disappointing to Texas Tech fans was that the most critical free-throw misses came from the team’s best player. First-team all-Big 12 selection, Keenan Evans, an 83% free-throw shooter entering the game was a woeful 3-8 from the line including some huge misses down the stretch.

Evans missed four foul shots in the second half including one following an improbable made jumper that could have pulled the Red Raiders to within one point with 57 seconds to play. The miss was critical because it altered the way Texas Tech approached its final possession.

Instead of being down by just a point, Tech, which was down two with the ball and 27 seconds to play, had an ineffective possession that ended with Evans attempting a contested fade-away three-pointer with 13 seconds to play. West Virginia grabbed the rebound and hit one final free-throw to seal the win. It is fair to wonder if Evans pressed as a result of his free-throw frustrations and took a poor shot in an attempt to atone for his misses when Tech needed only two points to tie the game.

More from Wreck'Em Red

The final sequence of the night was a fitting capper for Evans who struggled against the tough West Virginia defense. Playing on back-to-back nights with an injured toe, the Red Raiders’ star went just 5-14, including 0-3 from beyond the arc, for 13 points.

It was an unusual night for Evans who has been the team’s second-half savior on numerous occasions this season leaving one to wonder if the toe injury was a factor in his struggles from the line.

Evans’ five free-throw misses equaled the number of misses from the rest of his teammates and prevented the Red Raiders from making just their second Big 12 Tournament final in the 21 years of the event.

If Texas Tech is to have success in the NCAA Tournament, it must be better from the line. Beard’s team has attempted 80 more foul shots than any team in the Big 12 but is just 8th in the conference in conversion percentage at 70%.

But in four of Texas Tech’s last five games, the Red Raiders have shot below 70% from the free-throw line. That is a worrisome trend for a team that figures to be involved in plenty of close games in the NCAA Tournament due to the team’s defensive proclivity and deliberate style of play on the offensive end of the court.

Next: Texas Tech Knocks off Texas

If there is a silver lining for Texas Tech fans it must be the thought that Friday night’s failures at the line were an anomaly for Evans. Still, the Red Raiders must be better at the foul line as a team or their run through the NCAA Tournament could be much shorter than most expect.

Home/Texas Tech Basketball