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Texas Tech basketball: Chris Beard’s most important regular-season wins

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 24: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders invites students onto the court after the college basketball game against the LIU Sharks on November 24, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 24: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders invites students onto the court after the college basketball game against the LIU Sharks on November 24, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Beating Texas in Austin for the first time in 22 years

Noting curries more good favor from the Texas Tech fans base for a head than to beat Texas.  Beating the Longhorns in Austin is the icing on the cake.  Beating them on their own court for the first time in 22 years…that’s legendary.

In January of 2019, Beard broke the longest road losing streak in program history by authoring a 68-62 win over Texas in Austin.  It was the first time since 1996 that the Red Raiders had won a road game in the state capital.

Matt Mooney was terrific that day with 22 points, 14 in the second half.  Meanwhile, in a reversal of roles, Jarrett Culver played second-fiddle scoring 14 points of his own.

After leading for most of the game, Tech allowed the home team to knot the game at 48-all.  But Culver, Davide Moretti, and Norense Odiase combined for three straight scores to push the Red Raiders back ahead by seven points.  Though Texas would keep the game close, Beard’s team would hold on for the win.

The menacing Red Raider defense forced 14 UT turnovers in the second half alone and held the Horns to 7-20 shooting from 3-point range.  It was a sign the of type of defensive work that would carry that year’s team to the final Monday night of the season.

Texas Tech basketball fans now feel that our program is superior to Texas, and rightfully so.  Still, at that point in the evolution of the program, Tech had to earn all of the respect it got and by finally winning in Austin, it took a huge step in that direction.

Remember, though UT basketball has been a disappointment in the Shaka Smart era, Tech still must contend with the Longhorns on the recruiting trail and that’s a place where Texas can make up for their lack of on-court success with shiny locker rooms, a new arena, and the draw of living in Austin, which many people think is fantastic…but not everyone.

Thus, Texas Tech still needs to consider beating Texas essential to the development of the program.  Tech has to ensure that it can assert it’s dominance over UT because doing so allows the Red Raiders to be able to claim their place as the preeminent program in the state while grabbing the lion’s share of the headlines in the Lone Star State.  And finally figuring out a way to win in Austin was a massive step towards accomplishing that task.

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