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Texas Tech basketball: Best dynamic duos in Red Raider history

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - FEBRUARY 04: The Texas Tech Red Raiders mascot "Raider Red" cheers with the student section before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers on February 04, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - FEBRUARY 04: The Texas Tech Red Raiders mascot "Raider Red" cheers with the student section before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers on February 04, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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The Texas Tech Red Raiders mascot looks on. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
The Texas Tech Red Raiders mascot looks on. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

No. 7: Benford and Gay in 1985-86

When the No. 3 scorer on your team averages just 7.7 points per game, you had better get quite a bit from your top two players.  In the 1985-86 season, head coach Gerald Myers got just enough from Tony Benford and Sean gay to earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

That duo combined to average 24.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game.  They helped Tech to a 17-14 overall mark and a 9-7 record in the Southwest Conference.

That probably would not have been good enough to help the Red Raiders squeak into the NCAA Tournament, which had expanded to 64 teams just one year prior, but the No. 5 seed in the SWC Tournament went on an improbable run to win the event and earn a bid to the Big Dance.  Unfortunately, it would be a short dance as No. 13 seed Tech would lose to No. 4 seed Georgetown 70-64.

Benford led Tech that year with 14.4 points per game.  The tough as nails 6-foot-4 guard also averaged a team-high 3.6 assists, while finishing fourth on the team in rebounding at 3.7.

Gay, a 6-foot-3 point guard, averaged 10.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.  He finished second, third, and third respectively in those three categories for his team.

This version of the Red Raiders was young with just an average of 1.7 years of experience per player.  But with the senior Benford leading the way and being supported by a promising freshman in Gay, Tech made an improbable run to the NCAA Tournament, the program’s second-straight year to be part of March Madness.

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