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Texas Tech basketball: Tariq Owens’ best games as a Red Raider

By Matthew Conner

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: Tariq Owens #11 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrates after a dunk against the Michigan Wolverines during the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament West Regional at Honda Center on March 28, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: Tariq Owens #11 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrates after a dunk against the Michigan Wolverines during the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament West Regional at Honda Center on March 28, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

12 points, 3 rebounds, 5 blocks vs. Northern Kentucky in Rd. 1 of NCAA Tournament

One of the reasons Tariq Owens came to Texas Tech was for an opportunity to finally play in the NCAA Tournament.  When he got that chance, he made the most of it with 12 points, 3 rebounds and 5 blocks in Tech’s 72-57 round-one win against Northern Kentucky.

Against the Norse, he hit 6-7 shots from the field to be the Red Raiders’ second-leading scorer behind Culver who set a program record for scoring in an NCAA Tournament game with 29 points.  It was Owens’ best shooting performance this year in a game in which he attempted five shots or more.

Entering the game, NKU’s only hope of an upset was to speed up the game and turn it into a shootout where they could bomb away from 3-point range.  Meanwhile, Tech wanted to exploit its size and talent advantage in the post with Owens and Norense Odiase.

Fortunately, Tech’s strategy won out as NKU shot just 5-22 from deep while the Red Raiders controlled the game on both ends of the court.  And Owens’ five blocks were a huge part of keeping the Norse at bay by deterring them from driving to the lane with reckless abandon after they realized that their shots from outside were not going to fall as they had hoped.

But in the first half, NKU kept the game close trailing only 30-26 at the intermission.  Eventually, Tech began to pull away in the first ten minutes of the second half and Owens’ layup at the 15:02 mark extended the lead to 44-34, Tech’s largest margin of the game up to that point.

The NCAA Tournament is what every college basketball player wants to experience.  But in the first three years of his career, Tariq Owens failed to get that opportunity.

He came to Lubbock because he believed that Chris Beard was the man to help him get to the sport’s biggest stage and that proved to be true.  And once he got his chance to shine in the Big Dance, Owens made a huge impact with his highest point and block totals in the tournament as he helped the Red Raiders avoid being upset by Cinderella.

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