Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Texas Longhorns Pick & Prediction JANUARY 14th 2023
Ethan Wilson
No. 10 Texas and struggling-but-dangerous Texas Tech will have different things to prove but the same goal in mind when they square off Saturday in Austin, Texas.
The Longhorns (14-2, 3-1 Big 12) will be trying to show they can expand on the momentum gleaned from back-to-back-gritty wins, the latest of which was a stunning 79-75 come-from-behind home victory over No. 17 TCU on Wednesday.
Texas trailed by as many as 18 points with 2:57 left in the first half and overcame a 12-point deficit with 9:36 remaining by producing a sterling final four minutes.
Marcus Carr hit a 3-pointer with 1:01 to play to give the Longhorns their first lead, 76-73, since the opening minutes of the game. Sir'Jabari Rice grabbed three crucial rebounds down the stretch and converted three of four free throws in the final six seconds to seal the comeback win.
"The game is never over," said Texas interim coach Rodney Terry, who is 7-1 since taking the helm from the fired Chris Beard. "In the Big 12, we are going to be in games like this all season long. You keep working it and put yourself back in position again. I thought our guys gave themselves a chance to do that."
It was the largest comeback for Texas since it overcame a 22-point deficit with 7:54 remaining during a 92-86 overtime home win over Oklahoma on Feb. 27, 2013.
Timmy Allen led the Longhorns with 17 points in the win while Rice added 15, all in the second half, Dylan Disu hit for 14 points on 7-of-7 shooting and Carr tallied 11.
That win means nothing for Texas unless it builds on it, but Texas Tech will have a lot to say about that.
The Red Raiders (10-6, 0-4) head to Austin after a head-shaking 84-50 loss at No. 14 Iowa State on Tuesday. Texas Tech has dropped four straight games after never having lost back-to-back contests since the 2020-21 season. Tech sits, uncharacteristically, at the bottom of the conference standings.
"Patience is gone -- we are in urgency mode," Red Raiders coach Mark Adams said after the blowout loss. "We're going to have to make some major changes -- mainly in effort, attitude and toughness. This is a wake-up call."
De'Vion Harmon led the Red Raiders with 14 points in the setback, with Pop Isaacs adding 10 as Texas Tech shot just 36.5 percent from the floor and made only five of its 26 3-point attempts.
The Red Raiders will look to avoid a 0-5 start to their conference schedule for the first time since 2015 when that team started 0-6.
"We have to match our opponent's intensity," Adams said. "We have to go as hard, if not harder, than them. We've been inconsistent in conference games with our effort. It starts with effort and playing together as a team."
Texas Tech has won the past four meetings against the Longhorns in Austin and has captured nine of the past 11 overall games with its longtime rival.
--Field Level Media
Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Texas Longhorns Recap FEB 19TH 2022
Bryson Williams scored 17 points as No. 11 Texas Tech asserted itself in the second half and held on late for a 61-55 road win over No. 20 Texas on Saturday afternoon in a Big 12 Conference slugfest in Austin, Texas.
The Red Raiders (21-6, 10-4 Big 12) led by 10 points on two free throws by Clarence Nadolny with 3:38 to play before Texas roared back, forging a 9-0 run capped by Andrew Jones' 3-pointer with 1:36 remaining.
Kevin Obanor then hit a pair of free throws with 1:10 left to push Texas Tech's advantage to three points.
After a missed shot by the Longhorns, Terrance Shannon Jr. missed a jumper for the Red Raiders. Nadolny grabbed the offensive rebound, was fouled, and canned a free throw. Williams then finished off Texas with a free throw with 4.3 seconds remaining, producing the sweep of the season series for Texas Tech.
Nadolny added 14 points for the Red Raiders, with Adonis Arms hitting for 10. Texas Tech dominated in the paint, outscoring the Longhorns 26-10, and held Texas to just 28.3 percent shooting from the floor.
Jones led all scorers with 20 points while Christian Bishop grabbed 11 rebounds for the Longhorns (19-8, 8-6), who have lost two of their past three games.
Both teams were missing key players as Texas Tech was without Kevin McCullar because of a left ankle injury and the Longhorns' Tre Mitchell was out with personal issues.
It was the third straight win for the Red Raiders, who defeated the Longhorns 77-64 in Lubbock on Feb. 1.
The first half was as contentious as advertised with neither team creating separation and every possession and each shot contested. The game was tied 22-22 before Texas reeled off a 6-0 spurt.
But Texas Tech scored the ensuing six points, with a basket and a pair of free throws by Nadolny producing a 28-28 tie at the break. Jones had 12 points in the first half while Arms paced the Red Raiders with seven points.
Texas Tech scored the first seven points of the second half as part of a 13-0 run before the Longhorns countered with back-to-back 3-pointers by Brock Cunningham and Jase Febres.
--Field Level Media
- NCAAB
