January 17 at Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX
Longhorn Network
Texas Tech lost at Texas for the 22nd consecutive time on Wednesday, allowing Kerwin Roach to score 20 points off the bench in a 67-58 defeat.
The last Red Raider victory at the Frank Erwin Center came in February, 1996 when both teams were a member of the Southwest Conference. A month later, that Texas Tech team was 30-1 (!) and on a 23-game winning streak heading into an eventual loss in the Sweet 16 to No. 2 seed Georgetown (!), who lost to top seed Massachusetts (!) in the Elite 8. THAT'S how long ago was the last Tech win in Austin.
The streak continued because Texas played really well in the second half offensively - 11-for-19 from the field - and Mo Bamba led a strong defensive effort overall. The visitors shot just 38% from the field and Bamba not only blocked five shots (he averaged 4.5 coming in, second nationally to Marshall's Ajdin Penava), but changed the way Tech ran its offense. A handful of times Texas Tech guards drove into the paint, saw Bamba, and then just left the paint to try something else.
The great defensive big men like the freshman Bamba do two things: (1) block shots; (2) make you alter/restart possessions.
And Bamba also contributed 15 points and 11 rebounds for Texas, which evened its Big 12 record at 3-3. The Longhorns' three league losses have come by a combined 16 points.
Each bench made an impact as Tech got huge contributions from Jarrett Culver (16 points, nine rebounds) and Brandone Francis (13 points, 3-of-6 on 3-pointers), though those two equaled the point total of the five starters.
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