Even when Kansas has just an average team, winning at Allen Fieldhouse is a difficult undertaking. That's why the Texas Tech basketball team's 78-73 win in Lawrence on Saturday afternoon is worth celebrating.
The Red Raiders led for virtually the entire game thanks to early hot shooting that saw them bury 10 shots from 3-point range on the way to a 48-37 halftime advantage. However, the Jayhawks almost never go quietly on their home court and they rallied back from what was at one point a 14-point second-half deficit to take a brief lead midway through the second stanza.
However, the Red Raiders were able to keep their composure in one of the nation's most hostile arenas and down the stretch, it was Grant McCasland's team that made the winning plays. McCasland becomes just the second Texas Tech head coach to win a game in Lawrence joining Chris Beard who did so in 2018.
The Red Raiders' win was huge not just from a historical perspective but in regard to the Big 12 standings as well. It moved Tech to 13-5 in league play, just a half-game behind Arizona for second place. The Wildcats face a tough road test at Iowa State on Saturday night, so it is very possible that the Red Raiders will wake up Sunday back in a second-place tie in the Big 12 with just two games remaining in the regular season.
It was a monumental performance for the Red Raiders who are now 2-21 all-time at Allen Fieldhouse. So let's take a look at some of the key stats and moments from a thrilling Texas Tech win.
Texas Tech wins despite getting almost nothing from JT Toppin in the second half
JT Toppin led the Red Raiders with 21 big points to go along with five rebounds. However, almost all of that damage came in the first half when he scored 18 points on 8-12 shooting.
In the second half, Toppin was saddled with foul trouble, playing only six minutes before fouling out. Yet, this team managed to hold on for the win.
Federiko Federiko was solid in Toppin's place. Though he scored only two points and grabbed only two boards, he was enough of a deterrent inside to make life challenging for 7-foot-2 Kansas big man Hunter Dickinson.
Though Dickinson scored 18 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, he missed back-to-back shots on one possession with a minute to go and Tech ahead 76-73. On that possession, Federiko, who had four fouls, was right there to harass Dickinson into those misses in what proved to be one of the pivotal moments in the game. When Federiko was on the floor, Tech outscored Kansas by 10 points, giving him the second-highest +/- on the team. Sometimes, it isn't all about the stat sheet.
Texas Tech makes clutch 3-pointers in the second half
After the Red Raiders were 10-24 from 3-point range in the first half, most reasonable fans suspected that they would cool off in the second half, and that's what happened as they were just 5-19 (26.3%). However, four of those made threes in the second half were as clutch as they come.
With 8:30 left to play, KU stormed to a 61-60 lead, their first lead of the second half. However, Elijah Hawkins would then drain back-to-back 3s to put Tech up 66-63. Though he was only 2-7 from deep for the game, the senior point guard made his two 3s count as they helped snuff out a prolonged KU run and got the momentum back on Tech's side.
Then, with 3:40 remaining, Tech led 70-67. That's when freshman Christian Anderson drained his only 3-pointer of the second half to give Tech some much-needed breathing room. He ended the day with 15 points, all of which came on 3-pointers.
Finally, the game's biggest shot came from Darrion Williams, who has a knack for making timely 3s. With the game tied at 73, he calmly sank a 3 from the wing to put he team ahead for good with 1:27 to play. He finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, and as he has done so frequently the last two seasons, he came up clutch in the game's biggest moment.
Tech was 15-43 (34.9%) from 3-point range, setting a new program record for 3-point attempts in a game and coming one make shy to equaling a program record for made 3s in a game. Meanwhile, Kansas was just 4-18 (22.2%), and Tech's 33-point advantage from behind the arc proved to be the difference in the game.
Texas Tech overcomes the typical Allen Fieldhouse referee show
It's like the Big 12 officials are enchanted by working at Allen Fieldhouse because almost every game that KU plays on its home court sees the Jayhawks not only get the benefit of almost all of the 50-50 calls but also hold a massive edge in free throw shooting.
That was the case again on Saturday when KU was 11-16 at the line while Tech was only 7-8. But don't let that margin deceive you. Remember that two of Tech's free throws were intentional on the part of the Jayhawks, meaning that until the Red Raiders' final possession of the game, they shot only six free throws all day.
Until Kansas started intentionally fouling in the final minute of play, the Jayhawks had been whistled for only seven fouls all game long while Tech was called for 15. Usually, that type of officiating bias plays right into Kansas' hands and leads to a win for the Jayhawks in their own barn, but on this day, Texas Tech was tough enough to overcome that disadvantage.