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Texas Tech basketball: The top games of Matt Mooney’s Red Raider career

By Matthew Conner

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 08: Matt Mooney #13 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders is introduced prior to the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four National Championship game against the Virginia Cavaliers at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 08: Matt Mooney #13 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders is introduced prior to the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four National Championship game against the Virginia Cavaliers at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Mooney shoots Tech past MSU in the Final Four

It was no coincidence that in virtually all of the Red Raiders’ biggest wins this season, Matt Mooney played a huge part. That certainly was the case in the Final Four when Tech knocked off Michigan State 61-51.

Facing a rugged Spartan defense, Tech found it difficult to score.  As a team, the Red Raiders made just 22 shots as a team.  Mooney hit eight of those on his way to a season-high equaling 22 points.

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In fact, he made as many shots as the rest of the Red Raider starting lineup combined.  And the shots he hit were timely as well.

After his first points of the second half put Tech up 36-31, Mooney had one of the most memorable stretches in program history.  With the Red Raiders and Spartans locked in a 6-point struggle, Mooney caught fire from deep.

With three 3-pointers in just over three minutes, he staked the Red Raiders to a 48-35 lead with 9:41 remaining.  Those three shots were as cold-blooded as any in program history and put the Red Raiders in position to get to the national title game.

"“He’s obviously very, very talented, but the thing that really impressed me tonight was just his courage, just to be able to make those big plays and want to be in those moments,” Beard said after the game. “When Culver was — I’m not going to say struggling a little bit, I think when Michigan State was focused on Culver so much, Matt had the courage to step up and take those shots. He’s making plays on both ends. I loved his poise tonight. He’s a special player.”"

Indeed, Culver did have an off night.  Making just 3-12 shots, Tech’s leading scorer was held to 10 points, over eight below his season average, by an MSU defense that gave virtually all their attention to stopping the Big 12 Player of the Year.

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Fortunately, just like he did in Austin, Mooney helped pick up the slack.  All year, Tech seemed to have players like Moretti, Brandone Francis, or Tariq Owens step up to help provide a second scoring option to compliment Culver.  But in the team’s biggest win of the season, Matt Mooney was more than a complementary piece, he was the hero his team needed to help it get to college basketball’s grandest stage.

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