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Texas Tech basketball: Top 5 individual performances of 2018-19

By Matthew Conner

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 06: Matt Mooney #13 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders reacts in the second half against the Michigan State Spartans during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 06: Matt Mooney #13 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders reacts in the second half against the Michigan State Spartans during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

No. 5: Tariq Owens’ 13 points, 11 rebounds and 8 blocks against Memphis

As the season wore on, Red Raider fans learned just how vital Tariq Owens was to his team, especially defensively.  But he was also a vital part of Tech’s offense and the first time we saw what he was fully capable of as an all-around player came on the first day of December in one of Tech’s best non-conference wins.

In the Red Raiders’ 78-67 win over Memphis in Miami, Owens came within two blocks of a triple-double as he put up 13 points, 11 rebounds and a school-record eight blocks.  And what made this performance all the more remarkable is the fact that he played the final 13 minutes of the game with four fouls.

Six of the grad transfer’s blocks came in the final nine minutes as the Red Raiders put the clamps on the Tigers to end the game on a 33-10 run.  And Owens also contributed seven points to that game-clinching run.

There were other times this year when he had more points (his season-high was 18 against USC in November) and rebounds (he had 14 against Iowa State) but never was he as prolific in three different phases of the game in one single performance.  Setting a school record for blocks in a season with 92, the 6-foot-10 forward became a fan-favorite because of his highlight-reel rejections and thunderous dunks.

And when Texas Tech needed a spark, he was often the man to provide just that as he did against Memphis.  With the Red Raiders trailing by double-digits in the second half, Tariq Owens took over the game and carried his team to victory by dominating the game in three critical facets.

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