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Texas Tech basketball: How the Red Raiders beat the Sooners

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - JANUARY 29: Guard Kyler Edwards #0 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders shoots a three-pointer during the first half of the college basketball game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at United Supermarkets Arena on January 29, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - JANUARY 29: Guard Kyler Edwards #0 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders shoots a three-pointer during the first half of the college basketball game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at United Supermarkets Arena on January 29, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Texas Tech Red Raiders (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Texas Tech Red Raiders (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Tech came up with six steals in the second half

Though Beard was not happy with his team’s overall defensive effort, the Red Raiders can attribute this victory to their late-game defense.  In the second half, they came up with six steals, many of which came in the most critical moments of the game.

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With Tech ahead 60-56, T.J. Holyfield looked like an NFL defensive back as he picked off a Bradey Manek cross-court pass.  That led directly to a Kyler Edwards layup to push the Tech lead to six points.

That was the second steal of that nature for Holyfield as he twice intercepted cross-court passes.  And on a night when the entire game was essentially played within a range of five points, every stop was critical.

Though Tech had only four points from turnovers (the same as OU), on a night when the Sooners hit shot after big shot, it seemed like the only way Tech could get stops was to simply keep OU from getting a shot off in the first place.

In addition to Holyfield, Jahmi’us Ramsey, Terrence Shannon, Chris Clarke, and Kyler Edwards all came up with steals in the second half and all but Holyfield’s final steal preserved a one0-possession Red Raider lead.  That was more than critical in a game where every possession was an opportunity for the game to turn in either team’s favor.

On the season, Tech is only 6th in the Big 12 by averaging 7.6 steals per game.  Beard’s team came up with eight against the Sooners on a night when the Sooners gave the ball away only 10 times.

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What’s more, each of those steals felt even more important because they came in a game that was a back-and-forth affair.  Fortunately, the Red Raiders made enough defensive plays to hold the Sooners at bay despite the fact that they did not play with their normal defensive intensity.

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