Texas Tech basketball: Red Raiders finally win close game, top Sooners

Tuesday in Norman, Oklahoma, the Texas Tech basketball team finally secured a victory in a close contest by topping the Sooners 69-67.

It took a fortunate bounce but the Texas Tech basketball team finally found a way to win a close-out game that was decided in the final minute, a problem that has plagued the program since last season.  But it looked for a moment as if Tech’s mystery in the waning seconds of tight games might continue.

Unable to grab a rebound off of an intentionally missed OU free throw, Tech allowed the Sooners’ best player, Austin Reaves to have a great look at a put-back but the basketball gods smiled favorably upon the Red Raiders this time as Reaves’ shot rimmed out allowing the visitors to sneak out of town with a 69-67 win.  The last-second shot was actually OU’s third put-back attempt after the intentional free-throw miss, making Tech’s win feel all the more fortuitous.

It was a critical early-season victory for Tech, which was in danger of falling to 0-2 in Big 12 play after dropping a one-point contest to Kansas in Lubbock last Thursday.  But the Red Raiders finally made the plays down the stretch in a tight contest.  Specifically, it was Mac McClung who came to the rescue.

In the final 30 seconds of the game, the Georgetown transfer scored six clutch points including four at the free-throw line and two more on an improbable reverse layup that saw him knife through three Oklahoma defenders.

McClung, who leads Tech in scoring at over 15 points per game, finished the night with 16 points despite making only 5-14 shots from the floor.  And his heroics were needed in crunch time after Tech’s two leading scorers in the game, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Marcus Santos-Silva, both fouled out with over two minutes to play.

But before both were exiled to the bench, they were terrific.  Shannon followed up a 20-point effort against Kansas with 21 points against the Sooners.  And for the second-straight game, he was able to make shots from deep going 2-4 on the night.  That’s a key aspect of his game because it helps open up driving lanes by forcing defenders to respect his outside shot.

Meanwhile, Santos-Silva was not coming off of a sterling effort.  But after being shutout by the Jayhawks, the VCU transfer scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds in what was his best game thus far as a Red Raider.  He was 9-13 from the floor and had three offensive rebounds.

On the other sideline, the story was the struggles of Brady Manek.  OU’s leading scorer, who came into the game averaging over 17 points per contest, was able to score just two points on 1-7 shooting on a night when he appeared to be less than 100% physically.

Reaves was also kept in check rather well.  Though he ended the game with a respectable 13 points, he was just 4-13 from the floor.  And Texas Tech fans are thankful that his bid for 15 points came up unsuccessful.