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Texas Tech basketball: Why the Red Raiders were able to beat Kansas State

By Matthew Conner

DALLAS, TX - MARCH 17: The Texas Tech Red Raiders mascot performs during the game against the Florida Gators during the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at the American Airlines Center on March 17, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - MARCH 17: The Texas Tech Red Raiders mascot performs during the game against the Florida Gators during the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at the American Airlines Center on March 17, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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KSU forward Makol Mawien was held scoreless

Red Raider fans were certainly tired of seeing our team dominated by opposing forwards.  After Baylor’s Freddie Gillespie had 9 points and 10 rebounds (seven offensive) and West Virginia’s Oscar Tshiebwe had 7 points and 17 boards against Tech in the last week, there was reason to fear a big game from 6-foot-9 KSU forward Makol Mawien.

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But the senior was held without a point or a rebound on Tuesday night.  In fact, the only stats he registered were two missed shots and three personal fouls.

That’s quite the departure from his season averages of 7.1 points and 4.4 rebounds.  Don’t overlook how critical his lack of production was in this game.

Remember that both Chris Clarke and T.J. Holyfield found themselves in foul trouble as the second half progressed.  In fact, Holyfield eventually fouled out.

Thus, had Mawien been able to give his team some life in the post, he could have been a difference-maker.  Thankfully, he didn’t have the type of performance against Tech that he put up last year when he faced Beard’s team.

In Lubbock, he had 7 points and 4 rebounds and a few weeks later in Manhattan, he had a double-double with 10 points and 11 boards.  That’s the type of effort KSU needed from him if they were going to win on Tuesday but he was essentially a ghost on the floor.

Next. The all-decade power forwards. dark

The best way for an offensively-challenged Wildcat team to beat Tech, especially without McGuril, was to dominate on the glass and Mawien would have had to be a big part of that.  But because KSU’s second-leading rebounder was kept off the glass and the scoreboard, it further limited their ability to battle it out with the Red Raiders.

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