The Texas Tech Men’s basketball team (15-4, 5-2 Big 12) defeated West Virginia (13-5, 2-4 Big 12) 78-65 in a hard-fought victory at the United Supermarkets Arena. With the win, Tech is now a perfect 12-0 in front of its home crowd.
After easing back into action over the last two games, Tech Junior guard Terrence Shannon Jr. had a break-out performance that lifted the Red Raiders past the Mountaineers.
First Half
The Mountaineers struck first when forward Jalen Bridges received a no-look pass from guard Taz Sherman and hit an open three from the corner.
After trailing early, Tech tied the game at seven when guard Adonis Arms scored in transition.
Shannon gave the Red Raiders some more momentum after scoring on back-to-back possessions. He drilled a contested corner three and followed it with an easy layup.
Down by a point midway through the half, Shannon hit a smooth baseline jumper to give Tech a 17-16 advantage.
West Virginia answered back when guard Malik Curry drove down the lane and completed a three-point play to give the Mountaineers a 21-19 lead.
With under five minutes to play in the first period, Tech forward Kevin Obanor scored on a hook shot that gave the Red Raiders the lead 26-21.
At the three minute mark, Tech forward Bryson Williams nailed an open three that gave the Red Raiders a six-point edge heading toward the break.
West Virginia captured some momentum before halftime when Sherman hit a corner three to cut the Tech lead to three. The Red Raiders went into the locker room protecting a 36-34 lead.
Shannon and Obanor led the way in the first half. Both players poured in 10 points while going three of six from the field. Sherman led the Mountaineers with 13 first half points.
Second Half
The teams traded baskets to begin the second half. Tech guard Davion Warren scored in transition, Sherman answered back for West Virginia, and Kevin Obanor responded with another Tech bucket.
After a plethora of offensive rebounds, Warren scored again to give Tech a 42-36 lead with over 15 minutes still to play.
Later in the half, the Mountaineers went on a five-zero run to get back in the game. Jalen Bridges made an open three and forward Pauly Paulicap threw down a dunk to cut the Tech lead to 46-45.
Midway through the second period, West Virginia continued its hot streak. Mountaineer guard Kobe Johnson hit a three to tie the game at 48 with under nine minutes to play.
After Tech regained a three-point lead, Red Raider guard Kevin McCullar made a huge block on a layup attempt from Taz Sherman. Shortly after, Tech forward Marcus Santos-Silva hit two huge free throws to give the Red Raiders a 53-48 lead with under 8 minutes to play.
The Mountaineers refused to go away. Taz Sherman completed a three-point play and then drained a contested three to give West Virginia a 54-53 advantage.
The Red Raiders quickly seized momentum after Terrence Shannon completed a three-point play. Bryson Williams then hit a three that was followed by an emphatic swat by Santos-Silva.
With just over four minutes to play, Shannon hit a huge three that put the Red Raiders up 62-56. Right out of a timeout, Shannon again hit from beyond the arc to extend the Tech lead to nine.
Up by eight in the final minute and a half, Shannon delivered the dagger. Shannon received a pass from McCullar and threw down a transition dunk to give the Red Raiders an insurmountable 74-64 lead.
Shannon would end the game with a season-high 23 points while going 7-12 from the field and 3-7 from beyond the arc. Obanor finished with 18 points while making six of his 12 shot attempts. On the other side, Sherman finished with a game-high 21 points for West Virginia.
Notable Statistics
- Tech finished with 17 offensive rebounds to West Virginia’s eight.
- The Tech defense forced 17 Mountaineer turnovers.
- The Red Raiders only turned the ball over nine times.
- Four West Virginia players reached five fouls. Mountaineer forward Gabe Osabbuohien, Jalen Bridges, Pauly Paulicap, and Malik Curry all fouled out.
Up Next
The Red Raiders will be on the road to take on No. 7 Kansas in Lawrence.
Postgame quotes and video are posted on Twitter at KTXT_Sports.
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