Texas Tech basketball: How the Red Raiders were able to beat UT

Tech dominated the turnover portion of the game

Most expected this game to be an ugly contest that resembled a cage match more than a basketball game given that two of the nation’s top defenses were squaring off.  And certainly, at times the affair grew chippy and physical.

But this was an aesthetically-pleasing game with both teams making shots and plays throughout the night.  However, one team couldn’t hang on to the ball and it cost them dearly.

For the game, UT coughed the ball up 15 times leading to 19 points for Tech.  Meanwhile, Tech gave the ball away just seven times and after none of those turnovers did the Longhorns put any points on the board.  Thus, having a 19-0 edge in points off of turnovers proved to be a massive difference for Beard’s team.

It is important to note that Texas doesn’t take the ball away much.  They don’t jump passing lanes and they don’t press or trap as they rely on their bevy of big men to be their defensive stalwarts and thwart or at least challenge any attempt at the rim.

As such, they are just 9th in the conference in steals and 8th in turnover margin.  Meanwhile, Tech third and second respectively in those categories.

https://twitter.com/TexasTechMBB/status/1349765350137753600?s=20

Of course, the most important turnover of the night came with under a minute to play and Tech trailing 77-75.  That’s when UT’s Courtney Ramey tried to inbound the ball and threw it right to Kyler Edwards who found Terrence Shannon Jr. for a layup to knot the game.

Careless plays such as that in crunch time are often backbreakers and that proved to be the case for the Horns on Wednesday.  And the fact that Tech did a much better job taking care of and taking away the ball helped neutralize a hot-shooting night from the Horns.