Texas Tech basketball: Hidden moments in Red Raiders win over Sooners

Manek’s flagrant foul

This game was all about Tech building up a slight cushion and OU trying to chip away at it.  That pattern repeated itself virtually all night long.

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One instance when Tech built up a multi-score lead came thanks to a flagrant foul assessed to OU’s Manek with just over three minutes to play in the contest.   That’s when his left elbow connected with Shannon’s chin to draw a flagrant foul.

Shannon would hit one of two free throws on the other end and then, Tech would put two more points on the board via a Santos-Silva jump hook on the possession that came directly after Shannon’s free throw.  That would give the visitors a 63-55 lead late in the game.

What’s interesting is that, after this play, Manek would not see the court again.  And as he was shown sitting on the OU bench, he looked beaten down and almost physically ill.

How much that had to do with the flagrant foul, which was a questionable call at best, and how much that had to do with Tech’s harassing defense, we will never know.  It is also worth wondering if Manek’s game-long struggles led to his flying elbow as often, players who are frustrated tend to do things that they wouldn’t normally do like flinging an elbow backward with extra force while trying to post up.

After this play, Santos-Silva and Shannon would both foul out in the span of a minute forcing Tech to try to hold on for deal life as OU would close the game on a 12-6 run.  That’s why the cushion this play gave Beard’s team would prove to be more than just a little significant.