Texas Tech Basketball: Takeaways from Red Raiders sweep of No. 14 Texas

The Red Raiders defense and inside scoring propelled them to victory

As I said at the beginning of the piece, this game was a fight until the final whistle. Both teams were trading buckets in the first half.

When Texas Tech pulled away in the middle of the second half, the question was, were shots just not falling for Texas, or did the Red Raiders play good defense?

It was a mix of both. Once the Longhorns started to miss shots, the Red Raiders’ offense found their rhythm with good ball movement, inside scoring, and three-point shooting.

Marcus Santos-Silva did a great job of scoring off of the pick and roll in that game. The rolls were excellent, and the finishes were even better. The senior is averaging eight points and six rebounds per game.

In March, he will be another player to watch as the Red Raiders try to assert themselves in the paint on both ends of the floor. They are currently third in blocks with 4.1 per game and fourth in steals with seven. The Red Raiders do an excellent job of putting pressure on ball handlers when they drive, and they employ the 2-2-1 zone press, and it works.