Texas Tech Basketball: 3 biggest keys for the Red Raiders to beat Duke
By Brian Rauf
3) Apply game pressure in the 2nd half
To put it bluntly, most of the games Duke has played have not been close. That’s how good they are.
Those games mentioned previously, despite being uncomfortable for stretches, were blowouts with at least 10 minutes left in the second half. Even in their six-point win over Auburn, they led by double-digits for almost the entirety of the game before the Tigers made a late push.
The one game that was close late? Their loss to Gonzaga.
If you remember, Duke…I mean, R.J. Barrett…used almost exclusively iso-ball down the stretch of that game as they squandered several opportunities late. The Blue Devils aren’t used to being in those late-game situations and it showed against the Zags.
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The longer Texas Tech can apply game pressure on Duke in the second half, the more likely the Blue Devils are to revert to iso-ball and take panicked shots (especially against Tech’s great defense) rather than calmly executing their sets. That will give the Red Raiders a legitimate chance down the stretch.