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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 John Weast/Getty Images)
(Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

No. 4: Davide Moretti scores 20 points, goes 12-12 from free throw line against Oklahoma State

There was no bigger improvement out of an individual player on the roster this year than that of sophomore Davide Moretti.  Transforming from an inconsistent freshman to an indispensable piece of a Final Four team, the native of Italy came up huge on more than one occasion this season.

And when his team desperately needed his steady hand in order to avoid the season’s biggest upset, he was up to the task.  In Tech’s 84-80 OT win over Oklahoma Stat in Lubbock, Moretti had 20 points and was a perfect 12-12 from the free throw line as the Red Raiders held off the ninth-place Cowboys.

As OSU guards Lindy Waters and Thomas Dziagwa combined to hit 13 of 19 three-pointers, it looked like the first-place Red Raiders were destined to be upset victims.  But Moretti’s steady hand saved his team from suffering the consequences of what was a lethargic and lackadaisical performance.

As the game came down to the final minutes of regulation after Tech blew a 14-point second-half lead, Moretti hit six free throws and made a 3 in the final three minutes as it looked like the Red Raiders would survive in regulation.  But a last-second 3 from Waters sent the game to OT where Moretti drained four more free throws in the final two minutes to help seal the win.

Over the  years, it seems like we have seen far too many times when free throw shooting has cost the Red Raiders dearly as it did earlier in the season when they made just 6 of 15 in a 68-64 home loss to Iowa State.  Fortunately, Moretti did not let that happen against the Cowboys and it is a good thing that he stepped up because this close-call could have eventually cost the Red Raiders their first ever Big 12 title.

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