Texas Tech basketball wins vs. KU have been rare but exciting

February 14, 2005: Texas Tech 80 – Kansas 79

The current members of the Texas Tech basketball team need to look no further than their own bench to find the Red Raider with more knowledge of beating KU than any other.  Current assistant coach and former Texas Tech forward Darryl Dora was integral in two wins over KU in his career with the most memorable coming on Valentine’s Day of 2005.

That night, Dora and the Red Raiders knocked off No. 2 Kansas on Big Monday before a national television audience.  And in typical Red Raider fashion, Tech did not make things easy.

Tech held a two-point lead in the final ten seconds of regulation before KU’s Keith Langford hit a shot in the lane to tie the game at 67-67.  In OT, Dora went just 1-2 from the line with Tech up 74-72 with 15 seconds to play allowing KU to tie the game on a put-back with just one second to play.

In the second OT, KU built a five point lead before Tech fought back to pull within two points at 79-77 with ten seconds to play.  A Kansas traveling violation after a defensive rebound set the stage for Dora to hit a three from the top of the key to put Tech up 80-79.  Prior to that shot, the freshman was 0-4 on the night from long-range but he had the courage to launch from deep in the game’s biggest moment.

Head coach Bob Knight entered the game just 5-10 all-time against KU and 0-4 in Big 12 play.  It was his third-worst mark against any team.

The win helped propel the Red Raiders to the best season of the Knight era, culminating in a Sweet 16 appearance.  But no game from that season was more memorable than the heart-stopping win over KU on Valentine’s Day.