Texas Tech basketball: My favorite in-person memories as a Red Raider

Keenan Evans’ buzzer-beater to down Texas in 2018

While my hatred for West Virginia might not be shared by every Red Raider fan, there’s a universal disdain for the Texas Longhorns that we all can rally around.  But in my years as a student, even Bob Knight couldn’t figure out how to beat the Horns.

By the time he finally managed to beat the Horns in Lubbock for the first time, in 2005, I had graduated.  In fact, it wouldn’t be until 2018 until I got to celebrate my first in-person win in that series.  But what a win it was.

After the Longhorns erased a 13-point deficit in the second half to force OT, I had to admit that some of the memories of my days as a student came back into my head as the Horns looked like they might once again pull out a win in Lubbock.  That was especially true at the end of overtime when Kerwin Roach banked home a 3-pointer to tie the game at 71-71.

It was reminiscent of the 2004 game when UT guard Brandon Mouton banked home a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift his team over Tech 62-61 in OT.  But thankfully, in 2018, the Red Raiders had the last shot.

With the game knotted, Keenan Evans walked the ball across midcourt so calmly that most of us in the stands began imploring him to hurry up.  But he had a plan.  He took two dribbles right and pulled up to sink the game-winner.

That shot gave him a career-high 38 points and cemented his status as a Texas Tech basketball legend.  It also made up for a missed free throw from the point guard who could have won the game in the final seconds of regulation but went 1-2 at the line.

The win pushed Tech to 14-0 at home that season and kept hopes for a conference title alive.  Of course, a few games later, Evans’ broken toe would end that dream but thankfully, he prevented us from suffering through another nightmare at home against the school that we all love to hate.