RECAP: No. 18 Red Raiders 81, Mountaineers 50

Monday, February 4

Lubbock, Texas

8 p.m.

Texas Tech Athletics

18-5, 6-4

West Virginia

10-13, 2-8

West Virginia

Texas Tech

RECAP: No. 18 Red Raiders 81, Mountaineers 50

February 05, 2019 | Men's Basketball

Box Score PRESS CONFERENCE

LUBBOCK, Texas – No. 18 Texas Tech matched its largest Big 12 Conference margin of victory in program history with an 81-50 win over West Virginia on Monday at the United Supermarkets Arena after limiting the Mountaineers to 23.1 percent shooting and forcing 26 turnovers. The Red Raiders held the Mountaineers to 9-for-39 from the field to establish a new Big 12 record for fewest field goals allowed in a conference game topping the previous record of 10 when the Red Raiders held TCU to that total in 2014.

Tech (18-5, 6-4 Big 12) improved to 13-1 at home with the win and swept the season series over WVU (10-13, 2-8 Big 12) for the first time since the Mountaineers joined the conference in 2013. TTU, which earned a 62-59 win over the Mountaineers back on Jan. 2 in Morgantown, West Virginia in the first meeting between the two teams, finished the game 30-for-57 (52.6 percent) and owned a 37-27 rebounding advantage. The only other 30-point Red Raider win in Big 12 play came in a 93-62 win over Baylor on Jan. 2, 1999.

"They responded. We didn't have our best effort against Kansas, but that's coaching too," said Texas Tech coach Chris Beard, who improved to 46-5 at home in his three seasons leading the program. "We responded and we told each other the truth. We know West Virginia is a little undermanned right now and shorthanded and some of their best players are hurt. I think if West Virginia and Tech played 10 times, it would be 5 and 5 in my opinion. Tonight's score is not a good representation. I think you have to give our players credit for responding when our backs were against the wall. I was not pleased in the way we played against Kansas. All you can do is respond. Tonight I thought we played much better."

Brandone Francis led Texas Tech with a season-high 16 points in a game where nine Red Raiders scored, while WVU made nine baskets total in the game. Francis was 7-for-10 from the field, including going 2-for-3 on 3-pointers but came up one point shy of his career-high of 17 that came last season at West Virginia.

"I was a little more focused today," Francis said. "I went out there and played with a chip on my shoulder with something to prove. I talked to my mom today, I had it in my mind and I just went out there, with a chip on my shoulder thinking about my family."

Jarrett Culver finished the game with 12 points and four assists and Davide Moretti added 11 points from the starting lineup. Deshawn Corprew would contribute 10 points after going 3-for-3 from the field and 2-for-2 at the line, while Norense Odiase led the team with 10 rebounds and was one point away from his first double-double of the season. A senior from Fort Worth, Odiase now has 508 rebounds in his career and seven double-digit rebounding performances.

"I have said it over and over, he is one of our better players," said Beard of Odiase. "He has to play his best for us to win. I think he is one of the most physical and dominant guys in the league. Tonight I thought he imposed his will. He had some big rebounds. He is a really good free throw shooter and has good poise. He is just someone I trust."

Matt Mooney added five assists, four steals and nine points and Tariq Owens had seven points and four rebounds. Moretti would also have four assists in the game for the Red Raiders who had 20 assists on 30 baskets in the game and owned a 38-10 scoring advantage in the paint. Derek Culver led WVU with 23 points and 12 rebounds, while Jordan McCabe had seven. The Mountaineers were 3-for-16 on 3-pointers in the game and scored 29 of their 50 points at the free-throw line after going 29-for-41.

Texas Tech would lead by as many as 39 points in the game where they built on a 15-point halftime advantage with Francis hitting a jumper two minutes into the second half to push the lead to 42-22 and then led by 30 on a Corprew jumper three minutes later. The Red Raiders led 59-24 on an Owens layup for their first 35-point margin and was up 79-40 when Parker Hicks hit a 3-pointer. WVU finished the game with the final four points to cut the deficit to 31 to match Tech's largest conference margin of victory.

Texas Tech led 36-21 at halftime after going 13-for-26 with three 3-pointers and limiting the Mountaineers to 3-for-17 shooting. Culver led the Red Raiders with 10 points at halftime, while Francis had seven and Owens, Mooney, Moretti and Odiase each had four. The Red Raiders trailed 5-0 to start the game but went on a 13-0 run midway through the half and finished it on a 24-7 run that ended with Francis hitting a layup in the final seconds. The run included Odiase almost ripping down the goal with a dunk for an 18-16 lead. The lead grew to six on an Owens jumper and to 11 with Francis hitting a 3-pointer. Tech had a 14-point lead when Culver buried a 3-pointer at the shot-clock buzzer with 2:55 remaining in the half before Francis' layup at the end took to halftime with the largest lead of the half.

Texas Tech will return to action this weekend against Oklahoma with a 3 p.m. game on Saturday at the Lloyd Noble Arena in Norman, Oklahoma. The Red Raiders earned a 66-59 win over the Sooners on Jan. 8 in the first matchup between the two teams this season in Lubbock. OU will be coming off three straight losses after dropping a 75-74 decision to Iowa State on Monday. Tech will be looking for a regular-season series sweep of the Sooners for the first time since 2010.

The Red Raiders have now won six games by 30 or more points this season and own a 13.4 scoring margin advantage through 23 games.

QUOTES
Brandone Francis

On the motivation coming off Saturday's loss to Kansas:
"Definitely... Our loss, we were a little bit disappointed, we had coach coaching us very hard. We had a team meeting last night players only, and I feel like we just put everything out there. Us seniors got to go out there and lead for the younger guys.

Thoughts on the Kansas game:
"It was terrible, I was embarrassed, I didn't show up to play, I didn't make plays defensively, offensively. feel like I let the team down in so many ways."

Thoughts on his performance against WVU:
"I could have played better. I had three turnovers. I didn't have as many assists should have taken care of the ball. Try to focus on the next game and stick to the process. This guy to my right [coach Beard], the best coach I ever had in my life, a good mentor on and off the court. The leader of our team, I mean that, I'm not trying to blow smoke, he just keeps us so composed and knows what he's doing. Were just here to follow."

TFW you don't get to play in front of these fans for 12 more days. ?? pic.twitter.com/Ql5d227jkh
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) February 5, 2019

Our biggest margin of victory in a Big 12 game this millennium. (1999 ??)

Big Monday, indeed.#4To1

??#WreckEm?? pic.twitter.com/okIgoy8oY4
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) February 5, 2019

He likes the matchup.

After dropping 1??7?? in this game last year, B put up 1??6?? on 7??-1??0?? shooting tonight.#4To1

??#WreckEm?? pic.twitter.com/H77NHqRmNf
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) February 5, 2019