Texas Tech basketball pummels UTRGV 71-46

The Texas Tech basketball closed out 2018 with a convincing 71-46 win over UT-Rio Grande Valley Friday night in Lubbock.

For most of the first half Friday night, the Texas Tech basketball team appeared to still be on Christmas break. But after a sluggish start, the Red Raiders came alive in the second half to blow out UT-Rio Grande Valley 71-46.

Playing for the first time since a loss to Duke on December 20th, the No. 11 team in the nation lacked energy and played with little emotion allowing the visiting Vaqueros to hang around in the game’s first ten minutes. Starting out 8 of 11 from the field, UTRGV tied the game at 21-21 with 11:07 to play in the first half making some think that Tech was in for a fight at home for the first time this season.

But Jarrett Culver scored seven points during a 13-4 run to give Tech some breathing room before UTRGV cut the lead to 38-31 at the break. That was as close as the visitors would get because the Red Raiders that we have come to expect throughout this season showed up in the second half.

Holding the Vaqueros to just 15 points in the final twenty minutes, Tech displayed its trademark suffocating defense en route to holding its sixth opponent of the season below 50 points. Overall, the Vaqueros hit just 32.7% from the field and 31.3% from 3-point range while scoring their second-fewest points this year.

Jarrett Culver once again led the Red Raiders with 19 points as one of three starters in double figures. Making his first start of the season, JUCO transfer Deshawn Corprew added 13 points and center Tariq Owens chipped in ten.

Corprew started in place of forward Norense Odiase who was held out of the game because of pain in his hips. Head coach Chris Beard said that the senior could have played if necessary but that he wanted to rest his big man before Big 12 play opens on January 2nd.

But even without their second-leading rebounder, Tech dominated the glass pulling down 12 more boards than the Vaqueros. However, it was another key statistic that told the story of this game.

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After committing a season-high 24 turnovers against Duke, Tech took better care of the ball Friday. Facing an opponent in the top-10 nationally in turnovers forced, Tech gave the ball away just 15 times.

That number is still three more than the Raiders were averaging prior to this game but three fewer than UTRGV opponents had been committing. What’s more, five of those turnovers came in the game’s first five minutes as Tech came out of the gates rusty. Taking care of the ball for the final 30 minutes of action, the Red Raiders limited the Vaqueros’ ability to get easy baskets in transition instead making them play a half-court game.

UTRGV senior forward Terry Winn III led his team with 17 points but no other Vaquero scored in double-digits. The rest of the RGV starting lineup combined for just 18 points including just eight from leading scorer Lance Varner II who averages 13.5 per game.

With the win, Tech moved to 11-1 on the season. It is the second-consecutive year that Chris Beard has guided his team to an 11-1 record prior to the start of Big 12 play.

Now the focus shifts to the West Virginia Mountaineers. Tech opens conference play Wednesday in Morgantown against a WVU team that is 7-4 on the season and is coming off a 74-72 home win over Jacksonville State.

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The Mountaineers play Lehigh Sunday at home in their final tuneup before hosting the Red Raiders. Like UTRGV did, Bob Huggins’ WVU team utilizes the full-court press and will challenge Texas Tech’s ability to take care of the ball. If Friday’s game is any indication, the Red Raiders look to be ready for the challenge.

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