The Texas Tech basketball team had every opportunity to beat the Texas Longhorns Thursday in Kansas City but the free-throw line and a lack of clutch scoring did them in.
The last time the Texas Tech basketball team went one-and-done in the Big 12 Tournament, things worked out rather well as the 2019 season ended in a trip to the National Title Game. Now, Red Raider fans have to hope something similar happens in 2021 after seeing their team eliminated from the Big 12 Tournament by Texas 67-66 in the second round on Thursday night.
Matt Coleman III hit two clutch free throws with 1.8 seconds to play to push Texas to the win as the Red Raiders were unable to get a desperation shot attempt off on the game’s final possession. It was a frustrating defeat given that Chris Beard’s team had a pair of double-digit leads over the course of the evening.
But time and again, Texas was able to answer Tech’s runs with one of their own and in the end, Coleman was able to do what too many of the Red Raiders couldn’t on Thursday…make a dang free throw.
The Red Raiders held an advantage of 20-8 in free-throw attempts however they were able to convert on just 12 of their attempts while Texas made six of theirs, including the last two.
Those extra points could have pushed Tech to a comfortable win but time and again, the Red Raiders left points at the line. And on a night when your leading scorer puts up nine points fewer than his season average, extra offense needs to come from somewhere.
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But with Mac McClung scoring only seven points, all in the second half, the Red Raider offense struggled, especially down the stretch. In fact, in the final 4:03 of the game, Tech was unable to muster a single point as the Red Raiders closed the game 0-6 from the field including one possession with 2:14 to play in which Tech had three point-blank shots at the bucket and couldn’t connect.
Terrence Shannon Jr. led the team with 18 points but on just 5-13 shooting. And he too struggled down the stretch, including on one of the game’s key possessions as he was stripped of the ball by UT’s Brock Cunningham while trying to drive to the goal with 31 seconds to play.
It was the continuation of a two-year-long problem that Tech has had when it comes to closing out one-score or overtime games. Over the last two seasons, the Red Raiders have gone just 2-10 in such contests and the latest has eliminated the Red Raiders from the Big 12 Tournament.
Now, Tech has to wait until Sunday to find out its NCAA Tournament draw. But one thing is for certain, if this team doesn’t start to hit free throws and doesn’t figure out how to close out close games, we won’t see the type of run in the Big Dance that we all envisioned when this season began.