Sunday afternoon in Fort Worth, the Texas Tech basketball team found itself in a game that resembled a typical Big 12 rock fight but the shorthanded Red Raiders couldn't make enough plays down the stretch as they fell to No. 22 Texas A&M 72-67.
Playing without leading scorer and rebounder JT Toppin for the second game in a row, Tech simply didn't have the firepower to generate enough offense or the size to battle on the glass against a rugged Aggie squad.
The loss hurts the Red Raiders in two ways. First of all, it is never fun to drop a game to A&M. Second, and more importantly, the Red Raiders let another opportunity for a non-conference Quad-1 win slip away as they did in their one-point loss to Saint Joseph's in Brooklyn.
This was the final non-conference game of significance this season for Tech and it will be one that could be costly in March when NCAA Tournament bids are handed out. Of course, the Red Raiders will lament this performance because they didn't play well in nearly any aspect of the game.
Let's go inside the box score for some rapid reactions to what took place in the Red Raiders' second loss of the season.
Texas Tech can't hang onto the basketball
The Red Raiders' downfall on Sunday ultimately comes down to the fact that they turned the ball over far too often. In fact, the Red Raiders committed 18 turnovers on the day, the most they have had in a single game this season.
What was most frustrating is that Tech's senior point guard, Elijah Hawkins had a team-high six turnovers while dishing out only five assists and scoring only seven points. That's not what Tech expects from Hawkins, the transfer from Minnesota.
Hawkins led the NCAA in assists per game last year and he needs to be a positive and calming influence for this team, especially in tough games like this. However, he was a liability on both ends of the floor against A&M as his small stature (he's only 5-foot-11) was problematic against a long and athletic Aggie squad. Certainly, Hawkins has to be better when Big 12 play begins.
Texas Tech didn't get a strong game from Darrion Williams
With Toppin out, much of the scoring burden fell on the shoulders of junior forward Darrion Williams. However, he had his worst game of the season scoring only 11 points on 3-8 shooting.
However, it wasn't just a cold shooting day by Williams that rendered his day a disappointment. Williams also had five turnovers and only four rebounds.
It was surprising that the usually steady and composed Williams was pushed around by the Aggies. Perhaps his struggles were partially a product of Toppin's absence as it allowed A&M to give extra attention to Williams. But regardless of why, Williams wasn't his usual self on Sunday and that cost the Red Raiders a chance to win.
Kevin Overton couldn't carry Texas Tech in the second half
In the first half, as Tech was trailing by double digits, it was backup guard Kevin Overton who helped keep his team in the game. He scored 14 points in the opening 20 minutes thanks to knocking down four of the six 3-pointers he attempted.
After the break, though, Overton cooled off significantly. He ended the game with only 17 points meaning he scored only three after halftime.
In fact, Overton struggled to get his shots in the second half. As the Aggies paid more attention to him defensively, he was only 1-5 from the floor.
Tech isn't going to ask Overton to carry the offensive load all that often because that isn't how this team is built. However, in this game, the Red Raiders needed him to be a consistent offensive threat given that Kerwin Walton and Christian Anderson scored zero points on 0-4 shooting combined.
While you can't pin the loss on Overton, especially given that he led the team in points from a bench player scoring all but two of the team's points from its reserves, it was obvious that he wasn't the same player in the second half. If he had stayed as hot after halftime as he was to begin the game, this one could have had a different outcome.