Texas Tech fans proud of the effort but frustrated with loss to No. 3 Iowa State

At some point, this Texas Tech basketball team is going to have to figure out how to win home games in the Big 12. Now 0-2 at United Supermarkets Arena in league play, the Red Raiders again missed out on an opportunity to close out a close win at home by dropping an 85-84 overtime game to No. 3 Iowa State on Saturday afternoon.

The Red Raiders had the lead in the final minute of both regulation and overtime but failed to come up with the defensive plays to seal the game. What's more, Tech didn't take full advantage of its free-throw opportunities in the clutch missing three critical attempts in the final minutes of regulation or overtime.

The loss snapped Tech's modest two-game Big 12 winning streak. It also frustrated Red Raider fans who have seen this season's team drop a number of close contests already.

In November, the Red Raiders fell 78-77 to Saint Joseph's in Brooklyn, New York for their first defeat of the season. And as was the case against Iowa State on Saturday, in that game, Darrion Williams missed a potential game-winning shot in the paint as time expired.

In December, the Red Raiders fell to then-No. 22 Texas A&M 72-67 in Fort Worth, Texas. Of course, in that game, the good guys couldn't get over the hump partly because they played without leading scorer and rebounder JT Toppin.

Then, on New Year's Eve, head coach Grant McCasland saw his team play its worst defensive game of the season allowing Central Florida to come into Lubbock and open Big 12 play with an 87-83 win. That day, the Red Raiders fell into a huge hole and couldn't quite claw back in the final ten minutes.

At some point, the Red Raiders are going to have to begin to close out close games, especially at home. Winning in Big 12 play is difficult enough but to try to survive on the strength of your road success is a dicey proposition given the depth of the conference.

Texas Tech fans had a mixed reaction to their team's most recent loss, though. Some expressed understandable frustration while others were proud of how the Red Raiders competed against one of the top teams in the nation. How one interprets the loss is up to the individual but across the board, everyone wishes that the Red Raiders would have been able to come up with a few more plays to pick up would would have been a much-needed signature win.

So to sort through our feelings after this gutting loss, let's commiserate with our fellow Red Raiders. Here are some of the best social media comments following Tech's latest letdown.