Texas Tech basketball: Offensive impotence continues in loss to KSU

The Texas Tech basketball team’s offensive woes continued Tuesday night in the Red Raiders’ 58-45 loss at Kansas State.

With each passing game, it is becoming more and more difficult for the Texas Tech basketball team to find any offense outside of sophomore Jarrett Culver. In Tuesday’s 58-45 loss at Kansas State, the team’s third-straight setback, Culver registered 17 points but the team’s second and third-leading scorers, Matt Mooney and Davide Moretti were missing in action.

After reaching double-digits in each of Tech’s first six Big 12 games, Moretti managed just six points while Mooney contributed a mere two points, 8.7 below his season average. In all, Culver outscored Texas Tech’s other four starters 17-12.

Tariq Owens, who did not start for the first time this season, was the only other Red Raider in double-figures with 12 points including two 3-pointers. But despite receiving two unexpected makes from their big man, Tech was just 5-23 from 3-point range (21.7%) while shooting just 32.7% overall.

On the other end of the court, Kansas State was a far cry from spectacular. Their 58 points tied their lowest output in Big 12 play (but interestingly, they have won both contests after beating Iowa State 58-57).

In the end, the home team got enough offense via 15 points from Dean Wade, 13 from Barry Brown Jr. and nine from Mike McGuril. Though the Wildcats were not dynamic with the basketball, they managed to hit 46.3% of their field goal attempts against a Texas Tech defense that is allowing opponents to shoot just 34.8% on the season.

This game got away from the Red Raiders in the last ten minutes of the first half when Tech went into one of its patented scoring droughts. From the 10:16 mark of the first half to the 1:47 mark, Tech was held without a made field goal and managed just three points at the foul line as Kansas State took a 28-18 lead.

Unfortunately, for Texas Tech right now, a ten-point deficit feels insurmountable and it proved to be so Tuesday night. After trailing 32-24 at intermission, Tech was not able to cut KSU’s lead below six points which it did after a Tariq Owens 3-pointer with 15:54 to play.

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Tech is yet to score over 68 points in Big 12 play and in the three games since their last win, a 68-62 victory in Austin on January 12th, their offensive output has been on the decline. In last Wednesday’s loss to Iowa State at home, Tech mustered just 62 points and in Saturday’s loss to Baylor in Waco, the Red Raiders were held to 62.

But Tuesday was the worst offensive performance of the Chris Beard era. Tech’s previous low this year was the 58 points it scored in their December 20th loss to Duke. Prior to Tuesday, Tech’s low score in Beard’s tenure was 48 points, which came in a 2017 loss to KSU.

And it is no coincidence that both of Beard’s sub 50-point games have come in Manhattan, Kansas. Bruce Weber has turned his program into every bit the defensive juggernaut that Beard has built in Lubbock.

Entering this game, KSU was 4th in the nation in opponent scoring by allowing just 59.2 p.p.g. They are holding teams to just 40.6% from the field (43rd in the nation) and have held every Big 12 opponent below 70 points.

With the loss, Texas Tech falls out of first place in the Big 12 for the first time this year. At 4-3, Tech now sits behind Kansas and Kansas State (both 5-2) as well as Baylor (4-2).

Perhaps Saturday’s break from Big 12 play is exactly what the Red Raiders need. In the SEC / Big 12 challenge, Tech will host Arkansas, which is just 10-7 on the season. The Hogs are giving up 73.8 p.p.g. this year and have lost four consecutive games allowing their last three opponents to score 84 points or more. That’s good news for a Texas Tech offense that is playing as poorly as any in the Big 12.