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Texas Tech basketball: 3 key factors in Tech’s victory over OU

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 22: Guard Mylik Wilson #13 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders jumps to the basket for a slam dunk during the second half of the college basketball game against the Oklahoma Sooners at United Supermarkets Arena on February 22, 2022 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 22: Guard Mylik Wilson #13 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders jumps to the basket for a slam dunk during the second half of the college basketball game against the Oklahoma Sooners at United Supermarkets Arena on February 22, 2022 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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LUBBOCK, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 22: Cheerleaders perform as flames shoot in the air before the college basketball game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Oklahoma Sooners at United Supermarkets Arena on February 22, 2022 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 22: Cheerleaders perform as flames shoot in the air before the college basketball game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Oklahoma Sooners at United Supermarkets Arena on February 22, 2022 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

Texas Tech completely shut down Umoja Gibson

The main reason Tech lost to OU in Norman was because Sooner guard Umoja Gibson had a career day.  Scoring 30 points, he made eight shots from beyond the arc on eleven attempts to drive Texas Tech fans absolutely nuts as time and again, he would shot-fake his way to an open look and then knock it down.

Therefore, we knew that he would be the focal point of Tech’s defensive game plan on Tuesday night.  But what we weren’t sure of was whether or not the Red Raiders would be able to keep him in check.

After all, the Red Raiders have been victimized quite frequently this year by individual players that have caught fire from beyond the arc.  For instance, Gonzaga’s Rasir Bolton hit five 3s against Tech in December as the Red Raiders fell to the Bulldogs in Phoenix 69-55.  Similarly, Kansas’ Ochai Agbaji hit seven 3s against Tech in Lawrence as the Jayhawks secured a 94-91 Double-OT win.

Still, no one has done to Tech this year what Gibson did in Norman.

Fortunately, he couldn’t repeat that performance in Lubbock.  In fact, he could hardly find any open shots at all.

Denied the ball for most of the game and seldom able to shake free for an open look, Gibson was held to just 2-9 shooting and 1-6 from 3-point range on Tuesday as he scored just five points.

It was Gibson’s second-straight dud of a performance after he scored only four points in a blowout loss at Iowa State on Saturday.  And the key was how Tech sent multiple defenders at him.

When Gibson did fake a shot, Tech would often have two players in his vicinity, one to contest the first look and one to close out on him if he did indeed fake a shot.  Thus, the move that got him so many open looks in Norman only brought more defenders his way forcing him to drive the ball to the basket and try to create offense off the bounce, something he’s not all that adept at doing.

Playing 30 minutes on Tuesday, Gibson had only two assists.  What’s more, he didn’t earn a single trip to the free-throw line after getting there five times against Tech in Norman.

It was a complete turnaround for the Red Raider defense which proved that it can indeed devise a plan to keep a lethal 3-point shooter from going nuts.  Hopefully, this is a sign that Tech has finally figured out how to guard players who want to make their living from downtown.

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