Texas Tech basketball: Senior night provided unforgettable moments

Brandone Francis reunited with his mother

The best moment from Monday actually took pace prior to the game when Brandone Francis was reunited with his mother, Kenia Ramirez, for the first time in two years.  Francis, a native of the Dominican Republic, left his home to play high school and college basketball in the United States meaning that his mother had not seem him play in person in approximately six years.

But Texas Tech was given NCAA clearance to help Ramirez with her visa application and the travel arrangements so that she could surprise her son on senior night.  And the reunion was captured in a heart-warming video shared on Twitter.

Making this even more of a storybook moment is the roller coaster journey Francis has taken since leaving his native country.  After signing with Florida as a top 40 recruit in the class of 2014, he struggled to find his place with the Gators and transferred after his redshirt season.

But during his transfer season when he had to sit out per NCAA transfer rules, Francis had to face the difficult task of maturing as a man without either of his parents on hand to help guide that process.  In fact, there were times when it looked like he might leave the program as the requirements and expectations Beard placed on him (he was the only player on the team forced to live in the dorms during the year he sat out) seemed to be more than he bargained for.

Fortunately, he persevered and in two years as a Red Raider, he has made a tremendous impact during the most successful run in program history.  He has averaged 5.7 points per game as a key contributor off the bench while turning into one of the more versatile defenders on the floor this season.

And during Tech’s current eight-game winning streak, he has stepped up his play to the tune of 8.8 points per game.  Fortunately, on Monday night, he turned in one of his best performances of the season with his mom looking on.

With twelve points, he hit the double-digit mark for the seventh time this season.   That contribution was important because Kyler Edwards did not score off the bench and Tech got only six points combined from big men Norense Odiase and Tariq Owens.

Francis drained two key 3-pointers and grabbed four rebounds on a night when he closed out his career in Lubbock with a spirited performance that ended with a jubilant scream as he left the floor to a standing ovation.  And it will certainly be a night that he and his mother never forget.