On January 13, Texas Tech hosted a a top-10 matchup for the first time ever when No. 2 West Virginia came to town to take on the 8th-ranked Red Raiders. The Mountaineers were riding a 15-game winning streak and were atop the Big 12 standings at 4-0.
In a scenario that became almost routine in Lubbock this year, West Virginia built a double-digit second-half lead forcing Keenan Evans to pull his team back from the brink of defeat. Evans had 20 points including an off-balance jumper on which he tried to draw a foul but had to hoist a prayer when none was called, to give Texas Tech a four-point lead with just 38.7 seconds to play.
On the shot, Evans was clearly bumped by Daxter Miles but the officials swallowed their whistles and in the process allowed Evans to have one of the season’s many signature moments. Fans rushed the court afterwards to celebrate not only a huge Big 12 win but to celebrate the fact that Texas Tech basketball was once again relevant on the national scene.
The win over WVU sent notice to the Big 12 that Texas Tech was going to be a factor in the league race. Just 10 days prior, Tech had surprised virtually everyone by beating Kansas in Lawrence for the first time. The win over the No. 2 Mountaineers proved that Tech’s win over KU was not a fluke and that Chris Beard had a team that could compete with any in the nation.
The game was also the the second of the season without Zach Smith who broke his foot two games prior. After Tech turned in a lethargic performance in a loss at No. 9 Oklahoma the previous game, getting a win in its second game in a row against a top-10 team was a huge psychological boost for the Red Raiders.