Texas Tech won the turnover battle decisively
Many experts predicted that Michigan would have greater success against Texas Tech’s defense than most teams because the Wolverines were one of the best teams in the nation at taking care of the ball. In fact, U of M entered the game leading the nation in fewest turnovers per game at 8.9.
But Tech forced them into 14 turnovers, which was key in frustrating the Wolverines. Tech’s defense puts opponents in poor position on the floor which often leads to errant passes or results in the ball being fumbled away and we saw plenty of that from Michigan on Thursday.
As a result, Michigan was able to get only 49 shots off in the game. That was six fewer shots than the Red Raiders attempted on the night.
Matthews led Michigan with five turnovers and every starter for John Beilein gave the ball away at least once. Meanwhile, Texas Tech was fantastic at protecting the ball.
After the game, Chris Beard said that he set a goal of eight turnovers and Tech met that challenge by only giving the ball away seven times. And taking care of the ball against a team that is struggling to score, as Michigan was, is key because it limits opportunities for easy offense in transition.
When Tech has been at its worst this year, it has largely been due to turnovers. In its six losses, Tech has averaged 14.8 turnovers per game including 24 in a loss to Duke and 17 in January’s loss at Baylor. But in taking fantastic care of the ball Thursday night, the Red Raiders gave their offense a chance to solve the tough Michigan defense.