NCAA Basketball: Best games from 2019-20 season – Kentucky vs. Texas Tech

Kentucky and Texas Tech matched up in the Big 12/SEC Challenge; let’s look back at how that game delivered.

Each NCAA Basketball season delivers in different ways. The national pandemic canceling the postseason was a disappointment, but we still got to watch conference play and early season tournaments. We move forward in our top 40 games of the 2019-20 season by looking closely at a bigtime game during one of the annual conference challenges.

9. #15 Kentucky 76, #18 Texas Tech 74 (Big 12/SEC Challenge)

January 25, 2020, United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, TX

Since its inception in 2013, the Big 12/SEC Challenge has been a successful and exciting addition to the college basketball schedule. In these last few seasons, the games have been played in late January, about a month into conference play. It offers a break from conference action, pitting these two power conferences against each other and providing plenty of excitement. This year, one of those games really paid off.

Kentucky, as per usual, had high expectations for their season, though had already seen their fair share of struggles. The Wildcats had taken care of top teams in Michigan State and Louisville, but losses to Evansville and Utah had seriously dampened the start to their season. Still, this young and talented Kentucky team had plenty of firepower and were sitting at 5-1 already in SEC play.

Texas Tech had provided quite the shocker with their run to the national title game the previous season, though this year’s team had taken a slight step back. They had also upended Louisville earlier in the season but were coming off a rough loss to TCU that threatened to drop them from the rankings. This was a young team replacing much of last year’s talent, though they did still have Davide Moretti.

Kentucky jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead, but the first half was a tightly contested affair. Kyler Edwards hit a couple of big 3-pointers early for the Red Raiders and before too long the game was tied again. A nice 6-point run by the Wildcats was answered with an 8-point spurt from Texas Tech, with Edwards seemingly leading the way on offense.

By the end of the half, neither team had led by more than four, but the Wildcats got a great finish to the half. The Red Raiders had just put up six points in a hurry to retake the lead, but Kentucky got a Tyrese Maxey jumper, a turnover, and a 3-pointer from Immanuel Quickley in the final seconds, giving them a 36-34 advantage at the half.

The second half saw the Wildcats building on that run and taking firm advantage. Texas Tech was quick to retie the game, but before their next field goal, they saw Kentucky build a 10-point lead. Just four minutes into the half, they were already in by far their biggest hole, but this offense had plenty left in the tank.

Kevin McCullar hit a few big shots and the Red Raiders stayed in the game, though they were unable to deeply cut into the Kentucky lead. With just under ten minutes left, Johnny Juzang’s 3-pointer gave the Wildcats an 8-point lead again, while Texas Tech’s offense was struggling again. Moretti hit three free throws a few minutes later to help stem the tide while his 3-pointer with four minutes left cut into the lead again.

Edwards’ layup made it a one-possession game, while a pair of Moretti free throws finished the comeback with two and a half minutes left, tying the game. Neither team would make a field goal in the final three minutes and in fact, both teams missed free throws and game-winning 3-pointers. Now tied at 64, this exciting Big 12/SEC matchup spiraled into overtime.

Nick Richards put up 5 quick points for the Wildcats, who took a quick lead in overtime. Edwards made a couple of big shots to pace the Red Raiders, but a 3-pointer from Nate Sestina was big with just three minutes left. Texas Tech would tie the game with just over a minute left on a pair of free throws, though Kentucky retook it with their own points from the charity stripe.

McCullar made a huge layup in the final minute to retie the game but missed the free throw after being fouled. The Red Raiders did rebound the miss, but couldn’t get anything out of the bonus possession. On the other end, Richards played hero for the Wildcats, as his free throws with 10 seconds left were the deciding factor. Texas Tech was unable to put up a shot on its final possession.

Richards had 7 of his 25 points for the Wildcats in overtime and played huge for the team in getting the big road win. Quickley’s 21 points helped pace a Kentucky team that made nearly half of their 3-pointers and survived 20 turnovers. Texas Tech’s defense couldn’t stop the Wildcats. The Red Raiders had a solid 18-point effort from Edwards but as a team made just 15% of their 3-pointers and were outrebounded.

Kentucky would lose just twice more this season, marching to another SEC regular-season title, winning the conference by three games in fact. By season’s end, they looked again like a potent title-contending team, though the cancellation of the postseason clearly ended any chance of pursuing another Final Four run.

Texas Tech had their fair share of struggles all season long and wound up finishing 9-9 in Big 12 play by season’s end. They dropped their last three games, though these included close battles with top 5 teams in Baylor and Kansas. The Red Raiders were certainly reloading talent this season, but if Chris Beard’s recent teams have shown anything it’s that they could have done damage had the postseason taken place.

These two teams gave us quite the battle and provided plenty of justification for conference challenges, even into conference play. There’s no guarantee that the Big 12/SEC Challenge will continue to provide this level of excitement, but it’s clear that these two ranked foes gave it their all in this late January battle in Lubbock.