The Texas Tech basketball team will look to get back to its winning ways tonight at the Legends Classic when it takes on Syracuse in the third-place game. This comes one night after the Red Raiders came up just one point short in a 78-77 loss to Saint Joseph's on Thursday night.
"Our guys were competitive late, we just dug ourselves too big of a hole over the course of the game," Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said after Thursday's game. "It was a great team we played against in a great event. We have a long way to go with our team but I believe in them. We are going to find a way to get there. There are a lot of hurt guys in our locker room and it's a short turnaround when we play Syracuse in a couple hours. Part of this is how you respond when things go negative. We have the right group to respond."
Also on Thursday night, Syracuse fell to Texas 70-66 in a game that was similar to the Red Raiders' game. In the first half, the Orange fell into a double-digit hole but they were able to claw their way back into the game in the second 20 minutes only to falter late.
So let's take a look at everything Texas Tech fans need to know ahead of this important non-conference opportunity for the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech vs. Syracuse broadcast info
Tip: 6 p.m. (CST), Friday, November 22, 2024
TV: ESPNU: Kevin Brown (play-by-play), Jay Williams (analyst)
LOCAL RADIO - Texas Tech Sports Network: Geoff Haxton (play-by-play), Clark Lammert (analyst)
Texas Tech vs. Syracuse series history
Texas Tech all-time record: 1-1
Last meeting: 2005 (81-46 Syracuse in New York, NY)
Texas Tech vs. Syracuse odds
Odds courtesy of FanDuel.com.
Favorite | Moneyline | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|
Texas Tech -11.5 | Syracuse +490 | 153.5 |
Texas Tech vs. Syracuse game notes
All game notes courtesy of TexasTech.com.
- The Red Raiders are currently averaging 90.2 points per game which ranks fourth in the Big 12 and 19th nationally and are limiting opponents to only 63.4. The team is currently shooting 169-for-309 (54.7 percent) from the field and is 50-for-122 (41.0 percent) on 3-pointers despite struggling by going 4-for-20 from 3-point range against St. Joseph's.
- Grant McCasland is now 238-101 in his career after the loss to St. Joseph's is now 27-12 overall, 4-4 in neutral-court games.
- JT Toppin is coming off his 15th career double-double after going for 22 points and a career-high 18 rebounds against Saint Joseph's to take his season averages to 20.8 points, 11.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. He has a streak of three straight double-doubles after also going for 14 points and 11 rebounds against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Monday night in Lubbock after dropping 24 points on Wyoming to go along with 12 rebounds for his 13th career double-double.
- Darrion Williams provided 18 points, six rebounds and three assists against Saint Joseph's after 19 points against UAPB on Monday and is now averaging 15.2 points, 5.8 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
- Elijah Hawkins is the NCAA active leader with 6.39 assists per game in his career and is fifth with 607 total assists in his career. He recorded his 11th career double-double against UAPB after providing 11 assists, 10 points and five steals in his first start as a Red Raider and is coming off a game against St. Joseph's where he had three assists, two steals and four points.
- Kerwin Walton is fifth nationally in active 3-point percentage at 42.8 percent and is currently averaging 10.4 points per game with 15 3-pointers made this season.