Texas Tech narrowly escapes with an overtime win over Oklahoma State

The Red Raiders escaped. With the way the Cowboys shot the ball, it took all the Red Raiders had plus a few minutes to win the game. The final score, 84-80, is a testament to the toughness of both teams and the ability to hit crazy shots down the stretch to send the game into overtime.

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When you come off of arguably the best regular season win in program history, you expect there to be some sort of letdown. We expected no such letdown from this team, and there really was no letdown to be had, the Cowboys of Oklahoma State led by Lindy Waters III were able to hit huge shots to come back and tie the game up and force the Red Raiders into an extra period of play.

The Red Raiders came into this game red hot from behind the three-point line. This game, if nothing else, was a real eye opening thing to watch as a team who had been hitting on all cylinders went cold, only shooting 3-19 from behind the three point line. The Red Raiders did counter with a ton of scoring in the paint and at the free throw line.

The story of the game was Oklahoma State’s Lindy Waters III, and more specifically how he got so hot down the stretch hitting four three pointer in the last minute of the game including the one to send the whole thing into overtime. Three of the four made threes were very well contested, with defenders draped all over him. Waters III ended with 26 including 7-10 from three. Thomas Dziagwa was the reason the Cowboys were able to stay in the game early on as he hit 6-9 from three point land and ended with 20 points.

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In total, Oklahoma State hit 17 three pointers in this game. 17. Most teams that hit that many three pointers in a game win. The fact that the Red Raiders were able to find a way out of that was incredible. This game showed how this team can pull together to win when shots aren’t falling for them but are falling for the opponent. It was hard to come out for overtime after giving up a crazy comeback and having a couple of crazy shots for the opponent. I give credit to Coach Beard and his staff for having this team mentally prepared for anything.

The Red Raiders started this game with a pretty good rhythm offensively, and the defense was pretty good too, but Oklahoma State would hit a three pointer any time the lead got to 6 or 7 points. It’s not just wide open three pointers that this team gave up either, Oklahoma State made some really deep and really contested three pointers. The Red Raiders went into the locker room up by 10 after finally being able to pull away from the Cowboys a little bit at the end of the half.

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21 of the Cowboys’ 27 first half points were by way of the three pointer. The Red Raiders’ defensive scheme put in by Assistant Coach Mark Adams is meant for everyone to switch on screens so wide open three pointers don’t happen. Oklahoma State got really fortunate in the first half to make deep three pointers when defenders were switching onto them. Two points in the entirety of the first half for the Cowboys. One layup. That’s what this defense is meant to do. To keep you out of the paint and it worked very well.

The Cowboys managed to keep it close in the second half with more scoring from behind the three point line. Thomas Dizagwa, who had hit a bunch of three pointers in the first half, cooled off and Lindy Waters III took over this game. Walk-on Dee Mitchell hit a huge three pointer for the Cowboys with 3:54 left to give them their first lead of the night at 59-58. The Red Raider would counter with free throws from Davide Moretti. This basic pattern would complete the rest of the second half, with Lindy Waters III hitting four three pointers in the final minute of the game including the one at the buzzer to tie the game and send it into overtime.

Overtime was bit back and forth but the Red Raiders were able to finally put the game away. Lindy Waters III hit another huge three to tie the game up with 55 seconds left in the overtime period but Matt Mooney countered that with a layup to give the Red Raiders a 80-78 lead. Davide Moretti hit four big free throw shots to put the game away from then on, and the final score ended up being 84-80 (OT).

Like I said before, it wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t great, but the Red Raiders pulled out a win. Let’s all be glad that the team that got really hot on us was Oklahoma State and not Kansas. What did you all think of the win? Let us know in the comment section below!