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

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 24: Guard Jahmi'us Ramsey #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders passes the ball during around guard Raiquan Clark #23 of the LIU Sharks the first half of the college basketball game on November 24, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 24: Guard Jahmi'us Ramsey #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders passes the ball during around guard Raiquan Clark #23 of the LIU Sharks the first half of the college basketball game on November 24, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Lindy Waters III #21 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys makes a three-point basket over Tariq Owens #11 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
Lindy Waters III #21 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys makes a three-point basket over Tariq Owens #11 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

Texas Tech must not allow OSU’s two outside bombers to get going

As a team, the Cowboys are shooting just 31.1% from deep.  But that doesn’t mean they can’t be dangerous in that regard.

In fact, they should worry Red Raider fans because they will bring to town two knock-down long-range snipers in Lindy Waters and Thomas Dziagwa.  That’s a duo that combined to nail 13-19 shots from behind the arc on the way to a 42-point combined showing last year in Lubbock.  That was nearly enough to pull off a stunning upset.

Tech simply can’t afford to let those two catch fire again today.  That’s because if the Red Raiders can limit the looks for Waters and Dziagwa, the rest of the Cowboys are not probably going to shoot well enough from deep to win the game.

Outside of Dziagwa’s 30 made 3s and Waters’ 17, no player on the OSU roster has made more than eight.  What’s more, no player they bring to town other than their top two shooters is shooting better than 33.3% from distance.

At 42.9%, Dziagwa is second in the Big 12 and he’s made the fourth-most shots from distance in the league thus far.  Meanwhile, Waters has been a bit off from his career numbers as he’s hitting at a 37.8% rate.

Beard’s team has, at times, struggled to identify spot-up shooters.  That was a problem against Iowa and Creighton for certain as those teams shot a combined 21-51 from deep (41.7%) in the two games in Vegas.  If the Red Raiders can keep the only two shooters the Cowboys have from being outside weapons, they will have a great shot at preventing the visitors from ruining the party in Lubbock today.

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