Red Raiders Win 40th Straight Non-Conference Home Game

Friday, November 9

Lubbock, Texas

8 p.m.

Texas Tech Athletics

2-0

Mississippi Valley State

0-2

VALLEY

Texas Tech

Red Raiders Win 40th Straight Non-Conference Home Game

November 09, 2018 | Men's Basketball

Box Score PRESS CONFERENCE: Culver, Moretti PRESS CONFERENCE: Coach Chris Beard

LUBBOCK, Texas – Davide Moretti scored a career-high 17 points and Deshawn Corprew added 11 points and eight rebounds to help lead Texas Tech to an 84-52 non-conference win over Mississippi Valley State on Friday at the United Supermarkets Arena.

The Red Raiders (2-0) won their 40th straight non-conference home game with the 32-point victory where they limited the Delta Devils (0-2) to 33.3 percent shooting and forced 12 turnovers. Texas Tech has not lost a non-conference home game now since Dec. 30, 2013 and coach Chris Beard is now 21-0 in those games.

Moretti, a sophomore from Italy, would also set a new career-high with five 3-pointers in the game and added four assists and two rebounds. Moretti led the Red Raiders with 14 points at halftime after going 4-for-5 on 3-pointers. His previous career-best was 14 points last season against Florida Atlantic.

"I was just making shots," Moretti said. "My teammates helped me a lot with about five assists in the first half. I mean, that was confidence. My teammates were giving me wide-open shots."

"That's what Moretti is supposed to do," Beard said. "He is a good shooter when his teammates get him wide open shots and the offense produces shots. I think he is a 40-45 percent shooter. We are looking for him to get more consistent this year, he helped us out a lot last year as a freshman learning how to play on this level. He is a guy I pull for."

Splash. ?? #4To1

??#WreckEm?? pic.twitter.com/WE3qVxBXMY
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) November 10, 2018

Norense Odiase would add a team-high 10 rebounds and also scored eight points, while Jarrett Culver went for 12 points, five assists and four rebounds in the second game of his sophomore season. Odiase, who also led the team with seven rebounds in the opener against Incarnate Word, had four of his rebounds on the offensive side of the court along with two blocked shots. Corprew, a sophomore in his first season at Texas Tech after transferring from South Plains College, scored seven of his 11 points in the second half after scoring seven in the game against UIW.

Texas Tech finished the game with eight 3-pointers and was 32-for-64 (50 percent) from the field. The Red Raiders owned the glass with a 49-25 rebounding advantage, including seven rebounds from Tariq Owens who would also add nine points, two assists and one blocked shot. Matt Mooney led the Red Raiders for the second straight game in assists, finishing with six assists along with scoring eight points and securing five rebounds. Malik Ondigo also had a career night with eight points and five rebounds, while Kyler Edwards went for nine points after opening his freshman season with 10 against UIW.

Odiase and Owens each had six points each as the Red Raiders took a 43-20 lead at halftime.Odiase led the team with seven rebounds through 20 minutes and also had two blocks, while Mooney went into the break with five assists.

NOTES
Texas Tech has scored on the opening possessions in both games this season with an inside shot and then a 3-pointer… Owens would score the opening points for the second straight game and was followed by Mooney knocking down a 3-pointer. Against UIW, Owens had a dunk to start the game and was followed by Moretti hitting a 3-pointer... Texas Tech has started the first two games of the season with 9-0 runs... Texas Tech led by 23 at halftime after hitting five 3-pointers and shooting 53.3 percent from the field.

UP NEXT: The Red Raiders will host Southeastern Louisiana at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at the USA. The Lions are coming off winning the 2018 Southland Conference regular-season championship after going 15-3 in league play. The Lions championship run included a 73-62 win over SFA in the regular season before the Lumberjacks won the tournament championship with a 59-55 win over SLU. Texas Tech would meet SFA in the NCAA first round and advance with a 70-60 win in Dallas. Southeastern Louisiana's season would end with a loss to No. 25 St. Mary's in the NIT.

The Texas Tech Athletics Ticket Office is selling season tickets for as low as $135 online at www.TexasTech.com. Fans also can purchase season tickets in person at the Texas Tech Athletics Ticket Office located on the East Side of Jones AT&T Stadium or over the phone at (806) 742-8324 (TECH).

Another great night to be at the USA. #4To1

??#WreckEm?? pic.twitter.com/aPme2tHPvB
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) November 10, 2018

POSTGAME QUOTES

Coach Chris Beard

On Davide Moretti's performance against Mississippi Valley State:
"That's what Moretti is supposed to do. He is a good shooter when his teammates get him wide open shots and the offense produces shots. I think he is a 40-45 percent shooter. We are looking for him to get more consistent this year, he helped us out a lot last year as a freshman learning how to play on this level. He dedicated himself this summer to his national team while staying in town with his teammates in Lubbock. He is a guy I pull for. When he shoots the ball every tme I think it is going in because I know what this guy does behind the scenes. He is a guy that takes 400-500 shots a day and never takes a day off. I got a lot of respect for him."

On the play of Malik Ondigo and Deshawn Corprew:
"Malik played well tonight he is talents and Corprew is doing everything he can to contribute to the team he has three years of eligibility left. They are our first guys coming off of the bench. They played great tonight."

On playing Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday:
"I go one game at a time but I am looking forward to this team because they won the conference championship in the same league SFA plays who was our first round opponent in the NCAA tournament. To my understanding they have a lot of returning players and have stayed a good team. When you get the chance to play a conference champion in a non-conference game it is a game you kind of always circle. I know our guys have already heard about this team so Tuesday we will have to play well and protect our home court."

On Odiase against the Delta Devils:
"I think Norense played great tonight right around a double-double. If the game would not have been so large he would of played more and got a double-double. I think he is a rim protector. Everyone associated block shots with Tariq but he is an explosive athlete. He is one of the better defensive players in the Big 12."

Mississippi Valley State coach Andre Payne
Opening statement:
"I thought my guys played hard, I think the size advantage became a definite especially the last 10 minutes of the ball game. (Odiase) took control of the paint for Texas tech. They played hard and fought hard. You just can't coach size and that's the biggest difference."

On the way his team played in the second game of the season:
"We played one of the worst games in 17 years I have been coaching against Nebraska. They weren't 60 points better than us, we just were 13 for 68 on shooting. We bounced back tonight and you would of never thought that, that was a team that only made 13 shots in a game. My guys came back in and they worked hard and they came back and shot the ball pretty decent tonight."

On playing against Texas Tech:
"They are so diverse, they can beat you from the perimeter from shooting 3s. Culver is outstanding off the dribble. They have an attack game. The point guard is solid and Odiase is a big man in the middle who can get in there and bang. I'm not quite sure the depth, but the first seven or eight guys they play are pretty tough guys."