Texas Tech University Athletics
Tech Displays Balance on Offense in Win
November 06, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 6, 2003
Lubbock, TX -
by Jeff Walker
Avalanche Journal
One of Texas Tech's questions heading into the season is who will score besides Andre Emmett. If Wednesday night's exhibition game is an indication, the answer is: a little from everywhere. Emmett led the team with 17 points, but four Red Raiders scored in double figures and eight tallied at least seven points as Tech ran away from the EA Sports All-Stars, 100-61, at the United Spirit Arena.
Following the game, Tech coach Bob Knight wasn't concerned about the "equal opportunity" in scoring, but he was pleased with the team's performance.
"This was good. We wanted to play everybody and we were able to do that," Knight said. "Win or lose, to play like they did, for a lot of these kids this was their first time playing with the lights on in front of people with a Tech uniform on. The outcome was pretty good."
Tech's first game against competition had signs of it being an exhibition contest. Emmett had a ball bounce off his head; a referee prevented a ball from going out of bounds when it hit his foot and ricocheted on the court. The Raiders also committed 19 turnovers, including 12 in the first half.
"At halftime, we talked about turnovers," Knight said. "I'm not happy with seven but it's better than 12."
The game, however, also showed signs of a team learning Knight's philosophy. The Raiders played aggressive defense, finishing with 17 steals. They also took mostly good shots, and connected on 48.6 percent from the field.
As for scoring, Emmett scored all but two of his points in the first half. He sat out most of the second half.
But Tech, behind three consecutive baskets from Mikey Marshall, put the game away early in the second half. The Raiders quickly turned a 39-30 halftime lead into a double-digit advantage they maintained the rest of the game.
Joseph "Mookie" Works, one of three junior college transfers on the team this year, hit two free throws, a short jumper and a layup in the first two minutes of the second half to give Tech a 47-32 advantage.
Marshall, who finished the game with 10 points, followed shortly after with a pair of dunks off turnovers that turned the game into a rout.
Curtis Marshall was second on the team with 15 points, with 11 coming in the second half. Nobody could fault the All-Stars if they tired in the second half. The team played on Tuesday in Lawrence, Kan. and had only nine players in uniform.
All-Stars coach Price Jones didn't use fatigue as an excuse, however. "The guys I have here are at this level for a reason," Jones said. " ... If we had played our best I think it would have been hard to win. Our effort just wasn't where theirs was."
Click here to return to story: http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/110603/col_110603042.shtml
