Texas Tech basketball: What Red Raiders must do to beat Cowboys

Have an advantage at the free-throw line

In this game, the free-throw line could be where the winner is crowned.  That’s because each of these teams relies on that part of the game for a significant portion of their offensive output.  Thus, if one can have a decided edge at the stripe, the outcome could likely be in that team’s favor.

Both teams are above-average shooters as a whole.  The Red Raiders are second in the Big 12 in free-throw percentage at 76.2% while the Cowboys are third at 74.4%.

The similarities don’t stop there.  Tech and OSU are also second and third in the league in the number of free-throws attempted (273 and 242 respectively).

That’s not surprising given that neither team is proving to be adept at hitting from deep.  In fact, 50.3% of Tech’s scoring and 51.3% of OSU’s come as a result of two-point baskets.  That puts both in the top half of the teams in the nation in regards to the percent of points off two-pointers.

There is a stat that is in Texas Tech’s favor today and that is the number of three throws each team is allowing opponents to shoot.  Tech is sending teams to the line an average of 15.8 times per game while OSU is sending its opponents there 16.9 times per game.

Does one free throw make that much difference?  Not in one isolated game but it does indicate that the Pokes are more likely to foul than Tech.  What a difference in one free throw more allowed per game over 12 contests means is the difference between sitting at No. 72 nationally in that regard as OSU does and sitting at No. 54 like Tech.

Keep an eye on what happens at the line today.  That’s where Tech has won each of its last three games and if there is a huge disparity on either end of the court, it will go quite a way toward determining which team comes away with the win.