Tonight, the Texas Tech basketball team returns to the court for the first time since its two-game stint in Brooklyn, New York last week. Now, the Red Raiders begin the stretch run of non-conference play starting with a tilt with Northern Colorado inside United Supermarkets Arena.
While few people expect the Bears to spring an upset, Tech must be careful tonight. That's because Northern Colorado has already come close to tripping up a Big 12 team this season.
Back on November 8, in the second game of the season, the Bears made the short trip over to Boulder, Colorado to face the Colorado Buffaloes. That night, they pushed Colorado to the brink in a 90-88 double-overtime loss that saw the Bears miss a potential game-winning 3-pointer with three seconds left to play.
On the other hand, the Bears have also been blown out by Washington State this year 83-69, something that is not to be proud of given that the Cougars are only 6-2 this year with no wins over teams from a major conference.
There are three Bears averaging over 10 points per game. That includes forward Isaiah Hawthorne and guard Langston Reynolds who are both averaging 17.5 points per game.
"It's awesome anytime you're playing in the United Supermarkets Arena against a fantastic opponent and coming off a learning experience in Brooklyn," Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said. "Northern Colorado is a well-coached team. They have played a good schedule with a close game against Colorado and Washington State. They have a good team and we'll have our hands full. We need to come out ready to play. This will be a great opportunity to test ourselves."
This is an important game for the Red Raiders because, after tonight, the schedule picks back up with DePaul set to come to Lubbock on December 4 and a game with Texas A&M in Fort Worth set for December 8. Thus, it will be imperative that McCasland's team applies what it learned from its trip to New York and makes improvements on the court tonight.
Texas Tech vs. Northern Colorado broadcast info
Tip: 7:00 p.m. Central
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Texas Tech Sports Network
Streaming: Varsity Network
Texas Tech vs. Northern Colorado series history
Texas Tech all-time record: 4-0
Last meeting: Tech won 93-62 on November 24, 2019 in Lubbock
Texas Tech vs. Northern Colorado odds
Odds courtesy of FanDuel.com.
Favorite | Moneyline | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|
Texas Tech -19.5 | Texas Tech -4500 | 152.5 |
Texas Tech vs. Northern Colorado game notes
Notes courtesy of TexasTech.com.
- Texas Tech is currently at No. 22 in the Kenpom.com ratings, is sixth nationally with a 52.7 field goal percentage, and 10th with a 60.5 effective field goal percentage.
- Through six games played, the Red Raiders are now second in the Big 12 by shooting 77.7 percent at the free-throw line, third by scoring 88.3 points per game, and fourth by shooting 39.7 percent from 3-point range.
- Tech has rolled in home wins over Bethune-Cookman, Northwestern State, Wyoming and
Arkansas-Pine Bluff – outscoring the four opponents by a 33.8 scoring margin.
- Texas Tech has not lost a non-conference home game since falling to Kentucky in a 76-74 overtime decision on January 25, 2019. The loss to Kentucky snapped a 54-game streak taking the current calculation to an 88-1 record during a span which started on December 30, 2013, with a win over Mount St. Mary’s following a home loss to LSU.
- JT Toppin was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Monday after two double-doubles and averaging 17 points and 11.7 rebounds during the team’s three-game week. He capped the highly-productive week with 15 points, six rebounds, and three blocked shots against Syracuse after recording his 15th career double-double by going for 22 points and a career-high 18 rebounds against Saint Joseph's to take his season averages to 19.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game.
- Williams earned Legends Classic All-Tournament honors after leading the Red Raiders with a season-high 20 points against Syracuse in a game where he also had six rebounds and three assists. The 20-point performance was the second of his career with 20-plus and the 35th double-figure output. His trip to Brooklyn also saw him provide 18 points, six rebounds, and three assists against Saint Joseph's.