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Texas Tech basketball: Jarrett Culver’s 26 points lead destruction of Kansas

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - FEBRUARY 23: General view of the scoreboard after the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Kansas Jayhawks on February 23, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Kansas 91-62. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - FEBRUARY 23: General view of the scoreboard after the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Kansas Jayhawks on February 23, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Kansas 91-62. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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The Texas Tech basketball team systematically dismantled Kansas Saturday night in Lubbock 91-62 behind 26 points from Jarrett Culver.

What a difference three weeks can make.  After being run out of Allen Field House by Kansas on February 2nd, the Texas Tech basketball team returned the favor in a big way Saturday night in Lubbock.

Jarrett Culver scored 26 points on 10-21 shooting and three other starters reached double digits helping Tech blow the doors off of Kansas 91-62 in front of 15,098 boisterous fans. Matt Mooney added 13 points while Davide Moretti had 11 and Tariq Owens 10 in a game that Tech never trailed.

In fact, after Norense Odiase opened the game with three points on Tech’s first two possessions, the Red Raiders would lead for the remainder of the game.  Odiase finished with eight points and thirteen rebounds just eight days after tragedy struck when two of his cousins were killed in an automobile accident in North Lubbock.

And after Odiase got Tech going, Culver took over.  His run of seven-consecutive points put Tech up 12-4 and sent the Red Raider faithful into a frenzy.

In a nearly flawless first half, Tech hit 17-31 shots including 9-15 from 3-point range on their way to building a 45-20 lead at the break.  It was a truly beautiful twenty minutes of basketball that saw Tech force eight turnovers (leading to 12 points) while committing only three.

Meanwhile, Kansas was equally as wretched in the first half.  The Jayhawks hit just 9-23 shots including 2-8 from deep and got to the free throw line just twice as they were unable to match Tech’s intensity never looking like they were ready to compete.

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6-foot-9 forward Dedric Lawson was the only Jayhawk in double digits but his 14 points were five below his season average.  He was just 3-8 from the field and half of his point came at the foul line.

This game was won at the 3-point line.  Texas Tech continued its recent hot streak from behind the arc by knocking down 16-26 (61.5%) from long-range to tie a program record for 3’s in a game.  Meanwhile, KU hit just 9-21 (42.9%) which is not all-together unacceptable but it still left the visitors with a 21-point disadvantage on the score board.

Four Red Raiders (Culver, Brandone Francis, Mooney and Moretti) each nailed three shots from distance while Deshawn Corprew and Kyler Edwards both hit a pair.  Meanwhile, no KU starter hit more than one 3-pointer.

It was a complete reversal from the first time these teams met when Kansas drilled 13-30 from deep while Tech was just 6-28 in a 19-point KU victory that was never really that close.  And the same could be said of Saturday night’s Red Raider romp.

Though the 29-point loss was the worst of the Bill Self tenure in Lawrence, Tech could have won by more.  After a Matt Mooney 3-pointer with 5:37 to play, Tech held a 33-point advantage at 83-50, the largest deficit KU has faced all season.

The win was also significant in the Big 12 race as Tech took sole possession of second place at 10-4, one game behind Kansas State, which travels to Lawrence on Monday night.  Meanwhile, KU dropped into a third-place tie with Baylor and is on the verge of seeing its run of 14-consecutive Big 12 regular season titles snapped.

The win also snapped Kansas’ eight-game winning streak in Lubbock.  The last time Tech beat the Jayhawks in Lubbock was in March of 2009 when senior guard Alan Voskuil hit nine 3’s and the Red Raiders drained 15-27 as a team in an 84-65 blowout.

Next. Tech this season vs. last through 26 games. dark

That Texas Tech team would finish the season just 13-17 and 3-12 in Big 12 play making their win over the eventual Big 12 champs, all the more improbable.  This year’s version of the Red Raiders expected to beat Kansas Saturday night but no one thought they would do so as thoroughly as they did.  But with the way Chris Beard’s team is playing right now, nothing should come as a surprise.

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