How the Texas Tech basketball team beat Michigan State
Tech kept the rebounding battle close
What concerned me most about Michigan State was their ability to rebound the ball. MSU entered the game with the fifth-best rebounding margin in the nation at +8.9.
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But Saturday night, the Spartans did not dominate the glass as I feared they might. Though they did out-rebound the Red Raiders 36-30, the Spartans were held to just eight offensive rebounds, and most of those did not lead to second-chance points.
Tech’s leading rebounder was Norense Odiase, who had to play more minutes than he normally does thanks to the injury to Tariq Owens. The senior grabbed nine boards including all three of Tech’s offensive rebounds.
Meanwhile, Culver had five rebounds while Owens and Kyler Edwards each had four. And impressively, the Red Raider bench equaled the MSU bench on the glass with seven boards, despite the fact that Tech’s three reserves are all 6-foot-5 or smaller while both of MSU’s reserves are at least 6-foot-7.
Next. 3 statistical goals vs. Michigan State. dark
It was critical for the Red Raiders to be competitive on the glass. At times, Tech sacrificed offensive rebounding opportunities, instead deciding contain the Spartan transition game meaning that MSU was virtually assured of winning the battle of the glass. But because Tech was able to keep the Spartans from pounding the boards with their size inside, Tech kept the pace of the game in check and was able to grind out a tough victory.