Texas Tech basketball uses strong 2nd half to beat Oklahoma 66-59

The No. 8 Texas Tech basketball team rode a strong second half performance to beat No. 23 Oklahoma 66-59 Tuesday night in Lubbock moving to 3-0 in Big 12 play.

One game after his worst performance of the season, Jarrett Culver was back to his usual self Tuesday night. Scoring 23 points and pulling down 11 rebounds, the sophomore led the Texas Tech basketball team to a key win over Oklahoma helping the Red Raiders stay perfect in Big 12 play.

In what has become a trademark of Chris Beard’s team this season, Tech had to overcome a halftime deficit against the Sooners. Trailing 35-31 at the break, the Red Raiders made a concerted effort to ratchet up their defensive effort as they slowly chipped away at the OU lead finally tying the game at 46-46 with 10:33 to play.

It was the fourth time that Tech has won after trailing at the intermission. The Red Raiders rallied from a pair of nine-point halftime deficits in wins over USC and Memphis on their way to picking up two key victories. And one week ago in Morgantown, the Red Raiders went into the locker room trailing West Virginia by two points before coming away with their first ever road win in the series.

After Tech finally got the score even, Culver would take care of the rest. Scoring all seven of his team’s points in a 7-2 run over the next two-and-a-half minutes, the Lubbock native once again showed why he is the best player in the Big 12.

It was the first double-double of the season for Culver and it came on a night when Texas Tech needed every single play that its star could deliver. Against the nation’s most prolific rebounding team, the Red Raiders lost the battle on the boards 38-31 allowing the Sooners to stay in the game.

Fortunately, Tech was able to once again choke the life out of another opponent with its defense. The Red Raiders held the Sooners to just 32.3% shooting and though OU hit nine 3-pointers, it took them 29 attempts to do so.

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Their 59 points was their second-lowest output of the season after scoring 58 in an early-season loss to Wisconsin. It was only the second time in the last nine games that the Sooners failed to score at least 70 points.

Only two Sooners reached double-digits. Christian James, the Big 12’s fourth-leading scorer scored 14 wile Brady Manek added 13.

While Culver stole the show once again, Tech received solid play from its secondary scorers. Davide Moretti added 12 points reaching double figures for the third-consecutive game after scoring a career-high 19 in Saturday’s win over Kansas State and 12 in the Big 12 opener at West Virginia. It is the first time in his career that he has had three-straight double digit games.

Off the bench, senior Brandone Francis shook out of a woeful slump going 2-3 from 3-point range on his way to eight points. And both of his makes from behind the arc were important.

With Tech trailing 44-39, he drained a three to pull the Red Raiders to within two points. And his three at the 7:51 mark of the second half broke a 48-48 tie.

It was the first time since December 1st that Francis had hit multiple 3-pointers in a game. In his previous seven games, he had gone just 2-22 from deep but he found his stroke on Tuesday night helping his team overcome yet another rugged opponent.

The Red Raiders now sit atop the Big 12 standings at 3-0 but life in conference play has not been easy. In going 11-1 in non conference play, Tech had little problem in dispatching of its opponents securing each win by at least eleven points.

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But thus far in Big 12 play, Tech’s average margin of victory has been just 5.3 points per game. That is to be expected in the brutal Big 12, especially as the Red Raiders now go through the league with a target on their back as a top 10 team. But so long as Jarrett Culver continues to play like the Big 12’s best player, the Red Raiders appear ready to take on all challengers.

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