Texas Tech Basketball: Red Raiders use elite defense to beat Purdue
Texas Tech basketball was all about defense this season. In the Sweet 16, their calling card propelled them to victory over the Purdue Boilermakers.
The old phrase “defense” wins championships was on display on Friday night. Throughout the season, Texas Tech basketball was one of the best defensive teams in the country. When they were matched up with Purdue, one of the best offensive teams in the nation, it was clear that the Red Raiders’ defense was going to be tested. Faced with this challenge, though, Texas Tech was unphased.
The Red Raiders were excellent on the defensive end all night, utilizing their length and athleticism to force Purdue into tough shots. The Boilermakers entered the game scoring over 80 points per game but they were held to just 61 in this one. In addition, Matt Painter‘s team turned the ball over 17 times and shot just 42.9% from the field, well below their 49.4% from the regular season.
On the offensive end, Texas Tech steadily went about its business. Star player Keenan Evans only attempted eight field goals (made three) but he got to the free throw line seemingly at will. The senior went 9-for-10 from the free throw line to reach 16 points on the night. Justin Gray (12 points), Zhaire Smith (13 points), and Zach Smith (14 points) were the other Red Raiders in double-figures.
Purdue, who was playing without Isaac Haas for the second straight game, got the majority of their offense from Carsen Edwards. The sophomore guard was tremendous all night, dropping in 30 points (11-for-20) as he tried to keep pace with Texas Tech almost single-handedly. Vincent Edwards (12 points) and P.J. Thompson (10 points) were the only other Boilermakers in double-figures. Also of note, Dakota Mathias went 1-for-7 from the field.
For Texas Tech, this will be their first appearance in the Elite Eight. Of course, their road to the national championship does not get any easier after defeating Purdue. Their next matchup comes in the form of No. 1 seed Villanova. This will be another battle of excellent offense vs. elite defense. Can the Red Raiders once again shut down a red-hot shooting team?
Also, will Chris Beard’s team find a way to get to the free throw line like they did against Purdue? Villanova is one of the best teams in the country at avoiding fouls but Texas Tech always seems to get to the line. In their Sweet 16 win, the Red Raiders went 17-for-18 from the foul line.
This has been a magical season for Texas Tech and they have a shot to make it even better on Sunday. The battle for a Final Four appearance between Tech and ‘Nova will be one of the best games of the entire tournament.