Jameson McCausland
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After notching back to back wins for the first time in over a month, Texas (14-7, 4-4) will travel to Lubbock to take on Texas Tech (17-4, 5-3). In the first meeting between the two teams on January 17th, the Longhorns defeated the Red Raiders 67-58 behind a 20 point performance from Kerwin Roach. The two teams will battle again, with Texas hoping to notch a resume boosting road win over the 10th ranked team in the country.
Following the loss to Texas, Texas Tech was blown out by Iowa State (70-52), before bouncing back and recording victories over Oklahoma State (75-70) and South Carolina (70-63). In the victory over the Gamecocks, point guard Keenan Evans finished with 31 points. The Longhorns held Evans in check during the team’s first matchup in Austin, holding the senior to 11 points and 0-5 from three. Fellow guard Jarrett Culver has emerged as the second scoring option. Culver is averaging 10.6 points per game, including a 16 point performance against the Longhorns 2 weeks ago. The Red Raiders continue to be one of the top defensive teams in the country, holding opponents to 62.1 points per game and 39.1% shooting from the field.
In victories over Iowa State and Ole Miss, Texas got a dominating performance from center Mo Bamba. The freshman poured in 24 points against the Cyclones before following it up with a career high 25 points against the Rebels. Along with improved play from Bamba, Shaka Smart also emphasized the need for the Longhorns to continue playing good defense, especially against a Red Raiders team that can score in bunches.
“To create success for our team, it must start on the defensive end. It must start with a level of mental toughness and a commitment to all the small details that go into defending a team like Texas Tech,” Smart said.
The Longhorns hope to continue their upward trajectory against Texas Tech and leading up to Saturday’s matchup at home against Oklahoma.
Tip off will be at 8 PM CST and the game will be broadcasted on ESPNU. Follow along here at HornSports for live updates.
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