Red Raiders make history in Austin

The Texas Tech Red Raiders managed to eek out their first win in Austin since the conception of the Big 12 in 1996 by a score of 68-62. This win brings the Red Raiders to 4-0 in Big 12 play, keeping them in first place. Plenty of guys stepped up big for the Red Raiders today, one being Matt Mooney. Mooney scored 22 points to go along with 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. His 22 points is a season-high for Mooney, as he really got going in the second half hitting a couple of huge three-point shots.

The game itself started out in a defensive stalemate. There were only three baskets scored in the first four minutes of the game but the scoring really picked up after that. Jarrett Culver, Matt Mooney, Davide Moretti, and Tariq Owens carried most of the offensive load for the Red Raiders in the first half. The Longhorns were led by Kerwin Roach in that first half as he again had a great game against the Red Raiders. It went back and forth between both teams as the Longhorns had a 4 point lead at the half.

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The Red Raiders really had a tough time getting shots to go in in the first half. Both teams did really, but the Longhorns were able to make a couple more three-pointers on their home floor in the first half to give them a lead at the half.

Halftime adjustments again helped the Red Raiders as they would outscore the Longhorns by 10 in the second half of the game. The Red Raiders came out on fire in the second half, with Matt Mooney making two straight three-point bombs to push the Red Raiders out in front by two points.

With a four point play by Moretti with 15 minutes left in the game, the Red Raiders had managed to turn the four point deficit they faced at halftime into a five point lead, a nine point swing coming straight out of halftime. From that point forward, the Red Raiders never trailed again in this game.

A three pointer by Brandone Francis with three minutes left did give the Red Raiders a 10 point advantage but the Longhorns weren’t done yet. They put up 6 straight points to cut the lead from 61-51 to 61-57. A foul on Brandone Francis sent him to the free throw line where he connected on both and put the game away for good.

Player of the Game: Matt Mooney

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Another guy not named Jarrett Culver stepped up big time for the Red Raiders today. That guy was Matt Mooney. He put the ball in the bucket today, scoring when the Red Raiders needed it the most. He was also great on the defensive end of the ball where he tallied two steals on the day. He played his best game as a Red Raider so far this season, and I’m sure we all hope that this is just a sign of what’s to come.