Tonight, the Texas Tech basketball team returns to action against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (UAPB) at United Supermarkets Arena. Coming off of last week's dominant 96-49 win over Wyoming, the Red Raiders are flying high to start the season.
Don't expect that to change against the Golden Lions. That's because UAPB is expected to be one of the worst teams the Red Raiders will face this season.
Despite playing a schedule that has been relatively easy by college basketball standards, UAPB is just 1-4 on the season. They have played only one team from a power conference and that resulted in a 109-54 loss at Cincinnati to open the year. They also have taken losses at the hands of Tulsa, South Florida, and Incarnate Word with all of those defeats being by 16 points or more.
Meanwhile, their only win this year was a 99-57 win against some school called Champion Christian. That was also UAPB's only home game thus far.
So why should Tech fans care about this game? The answer is simple. This is the final chance that the Red Raiders will have to work out any kinks before heading to Brooklyn, New York later this week to face St. Joseph's and then either Syracuse or Texas.
Thus, the Red Raiders need to play a clean game, work on their rebounding, and iron out their rotation as point guards Elijah Hawkins and Christian Anderson play just their second game of the year. So let's take a look at all the game information Red Raider fans need to know ahead of the season's final tuneup before business picks up for the Texas Tech basketball team.
Texas Tech vs. UAPB broadcast information
Tip: 7 p.m. Central
TV: ESPN+ John Harris (play-by-play), Chris Level (analyst)
Radio: Texas Tech Sports Network Geoff Haxton (play-by-play), Clark Lammert (analyst)
Streaming: Varsity App
Texas Tech vs. UAPB series history
Texas Tech leads the all-time series 3-0 with all three meetings coming in Lubbock.
Texas Tech vs. UAPB odds
Odds courtesy of FanDuel.com.
Favorite | Texas Tech total points | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|
Texas Tech -41.5 | O/U 98.5 | 155.5 |
Texas Tech vs. UAPB game notes
All game notes courtesy of TexasTech.com.
- Going into the fourth game of its 100th season, Texas Tech will look to start with a 4-0 record for the 20th time in program history
- The Red Raiders (3-0) are off to a hot start with a combined 33.7 margin of victory, including a 47-point win over Wyoming last Wednesday where the team forced 25 turnovers and finished the night shooting 63.9 percent from the field with 10 3-pointers.
- Tech is off to a 3-0 start for the fourth straight season and extended a 33-game winning streak in non-conference home contests with the 96-49 win over the previously unbeaten Cowboys. The Red Raiders have not dropped a non-conference home game since an overtime loss to Kentucky back on January 25, 2020, which snapped a 54-game winning streak in non-conference home games.
- The Red Raiders are unranked in both national polls but currently find themselves at No. 9 on the Kenpom.com grid and lead the nation with a 66.3 effective field-goal percentage.
- Tech earned a 65-47 win on December 5, 2019, in the most recent game in the series.
- Tech's 47-point win over Wyoming was its largest margin of victory since a 50-point victory over Jackson State on December 17, 2022, in Houston. The 25 turnovers were also the most since that game when the Red Raiders forced 30 turnovers.
- The Red Raiders are currently averaging 92.0 points per game and are limiting opponents to only 58.3. The team is currently shooting 104-for-181 (57.5 percent) from the field and is 32-for-67 (47.8 percent) on 3-pointers. Five players are averaging in double figures through three games with Toppin (22.7), McMillian (15.3), Darrion Williams (13.0), Kerwin Walton (11.7), and Kevin Overton (11.3).