Perhaps the best thing a team can be is versatile. That's what the Texas Tech Red Raiders have proven to be thus far in the NCAA Tournament. One game after hoisting 46 shots from beyond the arc (making 13) to beat UNCW in the first round, Tech just sank two 3s in round two's 77-64 victory over Drake but got 50 paint points, most of which came from Darrion Williams and JT Toppin.
Williams put up a season-high 28 points to lead the way. Going 11-18 from the field, he also was 5-5 from the free-throw line while pulling down six rebounds and handing out five assists.
Meanwhile, Toppin was 11-13 from the floor for 25 points. He also collected 12 rebounds and blocked two shots. The eleven made field goals by Williams and Toppin tied a Texas Tech program record for the most made field goals in one NCAA Tournament game.
Let's go inside the box score to see how the Red Raiders took down the Bulldogs. Here are some rapid reactions to the latest Texas Tech tournament win.
Elijah Hawkins was Texas Tech's perimeter hero
On a night when Chance McMillian didn't play and Kerwin Walton was held scoreless (after putting up 27 points in round one), Tech needed a perimeter player to take over the game and senior point guard Elijah Hawkins was the man who did just that.
To say that Hawkins was all over the place was an understatement. Thanks in large part to a 10-11 showing at the free-throw line, he scored 16 points while handing out seven assists and committing no turnovers all while guarding Drake's best player, Bennett Stirtz for almost the entire game.
Had it not been for Hawkins' big night, Tech would have been in trouble. In addition to Walton's struggles, Christian Anderson was only 2-9 for five points and Kevin Overton was held to one point meaning the other three guards Tech played in the game scored only six points. Hawkins rose to the occasion, though, and he is as much of a reason that Tech is still dancing as any player on the roster.
Texas Tech doesn't let a Bulldog play Robin to Stirtz's Batman
The Red Raiders knew that everything Drake wanted to accomplish on offense ran through Stirtz. However, Tech seemed intent on not overplaying the Bulldogs' star so that they could ensure that no other opposing player went nuts.
Stirtz was solid with 21 points, eight assists, and three rebounds. He was 9-19 from the field and he tried his best to keep his team in the game.
However, his supporting cast couldn't hold up its end of the equation. While three other Bulldogs scored in double figures, a pair of key members of their team were held in check.
Mitch Mascari, who averages 9.7 points per game and shoots 40.7% from 3-point range was held scoreless. He was able to get only three shots away and he was 0-2 from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, Tavion Banks, who had 15 points and nine rebounds against Missouri in round one, wasn't able to do enough to help his team win. He did have 11 points and four rebounds but he needed to be much better than that for Drake to pull the upset. Like the rest of Drake's role players, Banks was unable to elevate his game enough for his team to keep pace with the Red Raiders.
Drake's vaunted defense did not bother Texas Tech at all
This season, Drake was one of the best overall statistical defenses in the nation. Entering Saturday, they gave up 58.4 points per game, which was second in America and they forced 13.8 points per game, 48th nationally.
However, Tech had no issues with the Bulldogs's defense. The Red Raiders' 77 points was the most any opponent had scored on Drake this season.
To get to that point, Tech shot 53.8% from the field even though the Red Raiders were only 2-14 from 3-point range. That was because Toppin and Williams were able to repeatedly get points in the paint with easy looks against the smaller Drake forwards.
Meanwhile, Tech gave the ball away only five times. That was due in large part to Hawkins' masterful ability to handle the ball against a set of lengthy Bulldog guards.
Any time Tech has a 13-5 assist-to-turnover number, the Red Raiders are going to be tough to beat. That was the case on Saturday as the best offensive Texas Tech team in the modern era of the program picked apart one of the top defensive squads in the tournament.