Texas Tech basketball: Critical moments in win over Cowboys

LUBBOCK, TX - JANUARY 08: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders reacts to his teams play on the court during the second half of the game against the Oklahoma Sooners on January 8, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Oklahoma 66-59. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - JANUARY 08: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders reacts to his teams play on the court during the second half of the game against the Oklahoma Sooners on January 8, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Oklahoma 66-59. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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Red Raiders put together an 11-0 run late in first half

After Tech calmed down thanks to that 5-0 run, this game turned into a back-and-forth affair.  That led to a first-half with eight lead changes.  But Tech took the lead for good on a late 11-0 run before the break.

With the OSU lead at 26-25, the home team clamped down on defense.  From the 6:02 mark of the half to the 2:06 mark, Tech forced OSU to go 0-5 from the floor and turn the ball over three times.  In addition, senior OSU forward Cam McGriff had a chance to stem the tide at the free-throw line but he missed the front end of a 1-and-1.

While the Pokes went cold, Tech stayed hot.  After a pair of free throws from Moretti put Tech up 27-26, Ramsey canned a nice jumper off the bounce for a 3-point lead.  Three possessions later, Holyfield sank a 3-pointer from the wing as the OSU defense sagged off of him.  He hit two 3-pointers in the first half, something that he’s struggled to do with consistency for most of the year.

An OSU miss at the rim then turned into a run-out for the Red Raiders.  That finished with a nice dime to Edwards from Ramsey as Edwards finished with a baseline drive on which he scored on a reverse layup forcing the Cowboys to take a timeout.

After the timeout, OSU turned it over again as Lindy Waters III had his elbow on the baseline while fighting for a loose ball.  On the next possession, Tech got two free throws from Chris Clarke to push the lead to 36-26.

Though OSU closed the half with four-straight points, the Red Raiders took complete control of this game with this 11-0 spurt.  Though the six-point halftime lead was not insurmountable, it did feel like Tech finished the first half by starting to take control of the momentum.