Texas Tech basketball: Inside the box score of the victory over KSU
Tech shot 50% from deep in the second half
When this Red Raider team shoots well from deep, it is going to be tough for any team to beat. When it struggles, it often lets that aspect of the game carry over into other areas such as ball movement, defensive intensity, and rebounding. That doesn’t make any logical sense but it’s what we’ve seen time and again because when Tech is knocking down shots from 3-point range, the rest of the game seems to fall into place.
In the first half on Wednesday, the Red Raiders were just 3-11 (27.8%) from deep on their way to only a 30-27 halftime lead. But in the second half, Tech was 5-10 from deep and that was a huge boost.
Of course, the most memorable shot was Moretti’s 3-pointer immediately after Diarra’s missed dunk. The junior was 3-6 from distance after halftime despite going just 1-4 in the first 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, Kyler Edwards was 1-1 from 3-point range and Jahmi’us Ramsey was 1-3 in the second half. And it turned out that Tech needed each of those shots to hold off a feisty KSU team.
As for the Wildcats, they were poor all night from deep. Shooting just 4-17 (23.5%) for the game, they made a mere 3-9 (33%) in the second half.
But keep in mind that two of their long-range makes in the second half came in the final minute when the game had essentially been put to bed. Thus, when the game was up for grabs, they were just 2-15 overall and 1-7 after the half.
For the game, Tech shot a respectable 8-21 (38.1%), which is slightly better than their 36% for the season (which is the best percentage in the Big 12). But sometimes the timing of a team’s 3-point makes is what matters most, especially on a night when the 3s aren’t falling at an incredible rate.
Kyler Edward’s lone three of the second half came with Tech up just 37-36. Meanwhile, Ramsey’s came a possession after Moretti’s game-changing transition 3-pointer after Diarra’s missed dunk and pushed Tech’s lead to 50-44. Those timely second-half buckets were crucial in helping the Red Raiders regain momentum in a game that was up for grabs with ten minutes to play.