Texas Tech basketball: Hidden moments in Tech’s victory over UT

UT loses two starters in the span of a couple of minutes

I debated about whether to include the two stomach-churning injuries the Longhorns suffered in the second half in the analysis of this game.  It feels a bit in bad taste and I don’t want anyone to think that I am celebrating these injuries by any means.  However, the story of Tech’s comeback can’t be fully explained without understanding the significance of both.

On the second possession of the second half, UT saw 6-foot-11 freshman Kai Jones roll his ankle when he came down on a teammate’s foot in the paint.   He would not return and was seen on crutches later in the afternoon.

This was a significant blow to UT’s defensive gameplan.  Jones is one of two Longhorn rim protectors and he played a significant role in causing Tech’s offensive struggles in the first half.

In addition to his four first-half points, he had a block, a steal, and a pair of rebounds.  His length and athleticism were concerning given the way Tech has struggled against similar big men this season.  What’s more, his absence left UT with only one true post presence, which is a factor we will discuss momentarily.

Minutes later, Texas guard Jase Febres left the game after landing awkwardly and appearing to hyperextend his knee in a gruesome sight.  Though he had not scored in the game, he is a player that has proven capable of hitting timely shots from deep.

Averaging 9.3 points per game this year, the junior from Houston is a 37% 3-point shooter who has 11 double-digit games.  In fact, he put up 18 against West Virginia and 14 on TCU last month, proving that he’s more than capable of being an offensive catalyst.

"“As a competitor, we never like to see good players get hurt; any players get hurt.” Beard said.  “That’s always been our message consistently through defeat and victory so I wish those guys at Texas the best.  The best players in college basketball should be healthy so that’s kind of a personal thing.  We’ll make sure to keep those guys in our thoughts and prayers and hope they get back for Shaka [Smart] at full speed.”"

There’s no denying that these two injuries left UT shorthanded and lacking some punch on both ends of the floor.  What’s more, it’s fair to believe that seeing two of their teammates have to be helped off the court in the span of five minutes only added to the mounting sense of dread that the Longhorns felt as Tech began to storm back.

Sometimes injuries are an unfortunate but significant component of a game.  Tech fans learned that in the most painful of ways when last April, Tariq Owens was unable to play at his normal level in the National Title Game after rolling his ankle two days prior in the Final Four.

So consider for a moment just how frustrating this loss would have been for the boys in Scarlet and Black had they failed to win a game that saw their opponent have to play the final fifteen minutes without two important starters.  You never wish for your opponent to be wounded by injuries but when that is the case, you have to take advantage as Tech did.