Adonis Arms. Kevin Obanor. Marcus Santos-Silva. Davion Warren. Bryson Williams.
Five seniors who all transferred from mid-major schools: Santos-Silva before last season, and the other four before this season.
“We’re showing that it doesn’t matter where you come from,” Warren said. “Basketball is going to be basketball, and it’s just about who you fit with and what your team is like. So we’re proving to the world that we weren’t five-stars, we weren’t four-star recruits coming out of high school or junior college. We grinded our whole life, and that’s what we’re still doing right now.”
All five of these special seniors were honored last night before they helped their No. 12 Texas Tech Red Raiders defeat the Kansas State Wildcats 73-68 Monday night to stay undefeated in 2021-22 at the United Supermarkets Arena.
Tech avenged the Jan. 15 loss to Kansas State, but it took everything they had, and then some.
Tech finished the season 18-0 at home for the first time ever in program history. They are the first Tech team to finish the season undefeated at home since the 1995-96 Red Raiders went 13-0. That team, led by current Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham, went on to make the Sweet 16.
The Red Raiders improved to 23-7 overall and 12-5 in Big 12 play, keeping their Big 12 title hopes alive.
Warren hit the last Tech two field goals, including the go-ahead jumper, and led with a season-high 23 points on a fantastic 9-for-11 shooting, with Williams right behind him with 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting.
Sophomore Nigel Pack, the Big 12’s leading three-point scorer, had 13 points, many of them in key moments, and three assists.
Super senior Mike McGuirl led Kansas State in points (18) and three-point makes (3, tied with Pack). Sophomore Selton Miguel added 14 points.
First half: Wildcats start hot but cool off as Tech finishes on 12-0 run
Kansas State shot 67% over the first 11.5 minutes and 56% from deep. It seemed as if they could not be stopped as Pack, McGuirl and the Wildcats got red-hot on their way to a 23-14 lead.
Tech’s defense wasn’t perfect, but K-State found a way to make shots even when contested, and the Tech offense didn’t quite find its groove until sophomore KJ Allen laid it in to make up for a missed putback dunk down 18-12.
Then, Kansas State didn’t make another three-pointer the entire first half.
Tech made a run to get within two points, and then later, Williams started a run with six of his own points to give Tech their first lead since the 17:33 mark, and Arms brought the house down with a two-handed jam.
Warren made a triple to cap off the 12-0 run with three seconds left to put Tech up 39-31 at the half.
Warren makes big jumpers to win in a thrilling second half
The eight-point lead went away fast as Kansas State started the second half with a 9-1 run in two minutes and 19 seconds, and the three-pointers came back for the Wildcats for the entire half. Senior Mark Smith scored seven of those points, three of them off a highlight-reel triple, to tie the game at 40-40.
The Red Raiders answered with a 6-0 run over 50 seconds, but Kansas State answered that too, and there were eight lead changes in the last 12 minutes.
Late in the second half, tied at 65, Warren made a mid-range jumper moving to his left to give Tech a two-point lead, but three free throws, one from McGuirl and two from Miguel, gave K-State the lead back.
Warren got it back though as he sunk another jumper with 1:05 left. Junior Mylik Wilson, a 6’3″ guard, got his third and arguably most important block on a Pack three-point attempt with 14 seconds left to close it out for the Red Raiders.
“We had him on Pack there at the end, and [he] made an unbelievable block there,” Adams said, “and the way Pack shoots, it’s probably going in because every time he shoots, I think it’s going in. He’s just that kind of a shooter. But just a great finish, and just really proud of Mylik.”
Next game v. OkSt Sat., McCullar and Shannon’s status
Junior guard Kevin McCullar did not play Monday night. Adams said McCullar tweaked his ankle during the TCU game, likely in the second half on a drive to the basket.
Shannon did not play the last five minutes of the game and only played seven minutes total in the second half. Adams said Shannon’s back was bothering him a bit, so the team pulled him out.
Adams said they’ll take advantage of having a slightly longer break than usual between games.
Texas Tech will play their final regular season game Saturday at 2 p.m. in Stillwater, Oklahoma, against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Tech beat Oklahoma State in Lubbock on Jan. 13 78-57.
The Red Raiders will then go to the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri, from Mar. 9-12, and then they learn what their NCAA Tournament will look like Mar. 13.
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