Texas Tech basketball team erases 17-point deficit to down BYU in Lubbock

Texas Tech held a huge advantage at the free-throw line

Don't overlook the edge Texas Tech had at the free-throw line in this game when trying to understand how this comeback came to pass. The Red Raiders were terrific in that regard going 17-18 while BYU hardly knew where the line was as they were only 3-5 as a team.

Entering this game, most assumed that BYU would hold a significant edge from 3-point range given that they are among the nation's leaders in the number of 3s taken and made per game. That margin ended up being nine points, which wasn't as big as many feared it was going to be after the way the first half unfolded.

Still, Tech needed to find a way to neutralize that advantage and that happened at the free-throw line. Tech is one of the Big 12's leaders in free throws taken and free-throw percentage and given that BYU is a jump shooting team, this game had to go Tech's way at the line for the Red Raiders to prevail.

Fortunately, the Red Raiders managed to hit timely free-throws as well. In the final two minutes, with Tech nursing the lead, McCasland saw his team go 8-8 from the line helping to keep BYU at bay.

Chance McMillan was 5-5 at the stripe to lead the Red Raiders while Pop Isaacs was 4-4 and Joe Toussaint was 3-3. But the biggest surprise was 53% free-throw shooter Warren Washington who was 3-3 himself as part of a 19-point, 9-rebound showing.

Against Houston, when the Red Raider offense was stuck in neutral all night, Tech was only 7-15 at the line in one of the worst free-throw shooting efforts this team has put forth all season. However, against BYU, the Red Raiders made a living one point at a time and that was a huge reason why the Red Raiders came away with this massive win.