Texas Tech erased a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter Tuesday night, defeating TCU 82-81 in a game that came down to the final possession.
Here are three takeaways from Tech-TCU:
Red Raiders find late rebounding solution
Texas Tech was once again outmanned in the rebounding category, as was the case in Ames over the weekend, and in Ft. Worth against the Horned Frogs in late January.
The Red Raiders lost the rebounding battle 49-36 Tuesday, with the Frogs scoring 21 points off those boards.
Once again without Warren Washington, who has been dealing with a foot injury suffered in the win over Kansas, the Red Raiders lacked their presence down low and struggled to put it together until late.
Tech was much more physical in the final moments, gearing up for the comeback victory.
Key playmakers step up late
Tech shored up its play late in the second half as Pop Isaacs and Joe Toussaint overcame rough shooting outings, setting each other up with Chance McMillian to help erase the 10-point deficit.
After trailing for much of the second half, Tech tied the game up at 71-71 with a dunk from Darrion Williams in the game’s final two minutes. Williams also chipped in two key rebounds down the stretch while playing with four fouls.
Key free throws from Isaacs and Toussaint proved vital for the Red Raiders’ comeback hopes.
What does the win mean for Tech’s tournament hopes?
With the Red Raiders earning an eighth win in Big 12 play, they have the chance to solidify their NCAA tournament hopes in the final five regular season games.
For Big 12 teams, many consider a .500 record in conference play to be the benchmark for a tournament berth. The Red Raiders are one away from that figure with the chance to do much better than nine conference victories.
Tech visits UCF on Saturday before returning to host Texas, with trips to Stillwater and Morgantown still on the docket.
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