Texas Tech University Athletics
Saturday, March 2
Fort Worth, TX
3 p.m.
Texas Tech Athletics
at
TCU
PREVIEW: at TCU
March 01, 2019 | Men's Basketball
No. 11 Texas Tech at TCU | 3 p.m., Saturday | TV: ESPN2 / RADIO: TTSN | Fort Worth, Texas
LUBBOCK, Texas – On a six-game winning streak and tied atop the Big 12 Conference standings, No. 11 Texas Tech travels to Fort Worth this weekend where the Red Raiders will face TCU at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Schollmaier Arena.
The Red Raiders (23-5, 11-4 Big 12) are coming off a three-game home stand where they knocked off Baylor, Kansas and Oklahoma State to extend the winning streak, while the Horned Frogs (18-10, 6-9 Big 12) fell 104-96 in triple overtime on Tuesday at West Virginia and have lost four of their last five games. Tech earned an 84-65 win in the first matchup between the two teams on Jan. 28 in Lubbock and is currently tied in the Big 12 standings with Kansas State (11-4) and a game ahead of Kansas (10-5 Big 12) and Baylor (10-5 Big 12).
Texas Tech will return from Fort Worth to host Texas at 8 p.m. on Monday in its final game at the United Supermarkets Arena. The game will be featured on ESPN's Big Monday and is Senior Night for Norense Odiase, Brandone Francis, Tariq Owens and Matt Mooney. During halftime of the game the inaugural Ring of Honor class of Rick Bullock, Andre Emmett, Dub Malaise and Jim Reed will be recognized. Along with the men's class, Marsha Sharp, Sheryl Swoopes and Carolyn Thompson will be honored as the first Lady Raider inductees into the Ring of Honor.
Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard has been named a Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year Late Season candidate and comes into Saturday's game with a 68-29 record in three seasons at the Red Raider coach. Beard has led the Red Raiders to a 16-1 home record this season and is 49-5 at home during his three years.
POLLS/RANKINGS: Texas Tech moved up to No. 11 in the Associated Press Top-25 and USA TODAY Coaches Poll on Monday after its win over to Kansas. The Red Raiders are No. 10 in the NCAA NET Rankings and also are at No. 10 in the ESPN Power Rankings and No. 16 in Andy Katz' Power 36 with four games remaining in the regular season. Tech has now been ranked 14 straight weeks after entering the season unranked. The team made its AP Top-25 debut in Week 4 at No. 20 and has been as high as No. 8 in Week 10 and 11. Along with national polls, Texas Tech is second in the nation by holding opponents to 58.1 points per game and a 36.7 shooting percentage this season. During the six-game winning streak the Red Raiders have beat West Virginia (81-50), Oklahoma (66-54), Oklahoma State (78-50), Baylor (86-61), Kansas (91-62) and Oklahoma State (84-80) to improve their scoring margin to 14.5 for the season which is 11th nationally. Tech is ninth nationally by limiting opponents to 29.5 percent shooting on 3-pointers, 25th with 16.04 turnovers forced per game and 22nd with a plus-3.4 turnover margin. The team is second in the Big 12 with 4.8 blocks per game, a 71.5 free-throw percentage, 7.3 steals per game, 133 blocks, 203 steals and a 36.1 shooting percentage on 3-pointers. Individually, Tariq Owens is 16th nationally with 66 blocked shots after having two against Oklahoma State to extend his streak of having at least one block in every game this season. Owens is a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist and is second in the conference with 2.37 blocked shots per game. His 66 blocks are currently fourth all-time at Tech for a single season, behind only Tony Battie who set the single-season record with 71 blocks in the 1996-97 season, Brodney Kennard who had 69 blocks in 1999-2000 and Battie who is third on the list with 68 blocks in the 1995-96 campaign. Jarrett Culver is third in the Big 12 with 18.0 points per game and sixth with 100 assists, while Matt Mooney is currently second in the conference with 1.71 steals per game (48 total).
ELITE DEFENSE: Texas Tech has allowed only three opponents to score over 70 points all season and OSU was the first team to reach 80. Opponents are averaging just 59.5 points per game during six-game winning streak and have been limited to 36.8 percent shooting from the field and 36.7 percent on 3-pointers.
FAST STARTS: Texas Tech has led at halftime by double-digits in seven of its last eight games: Oklahoma State (+10), Kansas (+25), Baylor (+13), Oklahoma State (+19), Oklahoma (+11), West Virginia (+15) and TCU (+16). The only discrepancy during the past seven is a 20-point halftime deficit at Kansas.
20-WIN MILESTONE: The Red Raiders reached the 20-win milestone with their win over Oklahoma State and have now recorded 20 wins in a season 13 times in program history. The team went 27-10 last season and has now had back-to-back 20-win years for the first time since the 2003-04 and 2004-05 under head coach Bob Knight.
MAINTAINING POSSESSION: Texas Tech has a plus-5.2 turnover margin advantage during the course of its six-game winning streak. The Red Raiders have forced 97 turnovers by their opponents during those games and have only lost 66 possessions. For the season, TTU has a plus-3.4 turnover margin advantage which leads the Big 12 and is 25th nationally. Tech committed only seven turnovers against OSU after eight against KU.
3-POINT BARRAGE: Texas Tech matched a program record with 16 3-pointers in the win over the Jayhawks after making 12 in the two games at Oklahoma State and against Baylor. The 3-point explosion started by making 10 at Oklahoma, but cooled off against OSU where the Red Raiders were only 3-for-19. The Red Raiders are 61-for-143 (42.7 %) on 3-pointers during the six-game winning streak. Tech has seven games this season with 10 or more 3s, including four of the last five games.
ROAD SHOW: Texas Tech is currently 4-3 on the road in conference play after earning wins at Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The team is coming off a three-game home stand. On the road in Big 12 play, the Red Raiders have secured wins over West Virginia, Texas, OU and OSU.
HOME DOMINANCE: Texas Tech is 16-1 at home this season and is 49-5 at home under Chris Beard the past three seasons. In Big 12 play, the Red Raiders are 7-1 on their home court this season and 21-5 during the Beard era. Tech is currently 92-75 in conference play and 247-90 all-time at the United Supermarkets Arena since the first game on Nov. 19, 1999.
PLAYER NOTES: Jarrett Culver was named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week for the second time this season on Monday after going for 26 points against Kansas and followed it by recording his third double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Oklahoma State. He comes into Saturday's game having scored 920 points in his career and leads the Red Raiders with 18.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game this season. A sophomore from Lubbock, he scored 18 points and had seven rebounds in the first matchup against TCU. Culver, who is third in the Big 12 in scoring behind only KU's Dedric Lawson (19.0) and Iowa State's Marial Shayok (18.6), had his first double-double of the season by going for 23 points and 13 rebounds in the first matchup against Oklahoma and his second double-double of the season with a career-high 16 rebounds and 20 points against Iowa State. Culver has led the team in scoring in 19 of 28 games and is currently averaging 17.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and has 44 assists through 15 conference games. Culver is on the John R. Wooden Award, Jerry West Award, Oscar Robertson Trophy and Lute Olson Award watch lists, was named to the Sporting News Midseason All-America second-team and earned Big 12 Preseason Honorable Mention honors. He has scored in double figures in 27 of 28 games and is shooting 48.7 percent from the field overall and 43.7 percent in Big 12 play. Culver recorded a career-high with 30 points against Abilene Christian on Dec. 20 where he went 12-for-13 from the field and hit four 3-pointers. He was named the Big 12 Player of the Week after the performance and followed it by going to New York and scoring 25 points against Duke. He has scored in double figures in 14 straight games and has 20 rebounds in the past three games.
Davide Moretti led Texas Tech with 20 points after going 12-for-12 from the free-throw line and 2-for-2 on 3-pointers on Wednesday against Oklahoma State. Moretti is 14-for-22 from beyond the arc (63.6 percent) and 23-for-24 at the free-throw line during the past five games. For the season, Moretti is 78 of 84 (92.9 percent) from the free-throw line which ranks first in the Big 12. He was 3-for-4 and scored 11 points against KU after making four 3-pointers. Moretti, who is currently averaging 12.8 points and 2.5 assists in conference play, dished out a career-high seven assists and scored nine points (3-for-4 3-pointers) in the win at Oklahoma State after he led the Red Raiders with 14 points at Oklahoma. He was 3-for-4 from beyond the arc and finished with 11 points and seven assists in the first matchup against TCU. Moretti recorded a career-high 21 points against Arkansas in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge after going 6-for-9 from the field with three 3-pointers. He's currently shooting 50.7 percent on 3-pointers in conference play and is 52-for-114 from beyond the arc this season. Moretti has scored in double figures in 13 of 15 Big 12 games this season and now has 442 points through 65 games in his career. He has started all 28 games for the Red Raiders this season after making one start in 37 games played as a freshman. A coach's son from Italy, Moretti is averaging 11.2 points and 2.5 assists per game in his second season with the program. He has also registered 17-point performances in wins over Southern Cal and Mississippi Valley State and has two games with six assists in non-conference play. Moretti made a career-high five 3-pointers against MVSU and has scored in double figures in 15 games this season and 17 in his career. He currently leads TTU with his 52 3-pointers and is shooting 45.6 percent from beyond the arc which ranks second in the conference.
After losing five seniors off last season's NCAA Elite Eight team, Texas Tech remained a veteran team through recruiting by adding graduate transfers Matt Mooney (University of South Dakota) and Tariq Owens (St. John's) to go along with returners Norense Odiase and Brandone Francis to make up a senior class of four for the Red Raiders. Owens was advanced to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award Semifinalist Watch List. Mooney and Owens were on the original list, making TTU the only team with two members on the list of 15.
Owens went for 16 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots against OSU after he scored 10 points against KU. He secured his second double-double of the season two weeks ago by scoring 12 points and adding 10 rebounds in the first matchup at Kansas and has at least one blocked shot in all 28 games this season. An Odenton, Maryland native, he had one of his best offensive games of the season after scoring 17 points against TCU where he was 7-for-9 from the field, including going 2-for-2 on 3-pointers in the first matchup between the two teams. He is currently fourth on the Texas Tech single-season list with 66 blocks this season. Tony Battie has the single-season record with 71 blocks in the 1996-97 season. Owens has scored in double figures in six of the last eight Big 12 games and is currently averaging 9.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots through 15 conference games. He has 34 blocks in Big 12 play and is fourth in the conference with a 58.4 shooting percentage. Owens, who led the BIG EAST in blocks the past two seasons while playing at St. John's, established a new Texas Tech single-game record with eight blocks in the win over Memphis on Dec. 1 in Miami after starting his Red Raider career with six blocks against Incarnate Word in the season opener. He had a season-high 18 points against Southern Cal and recorded the team's first double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds in his eight-block performance against Memphis. Owens transferred to Tech after playing his freshman season at Tennessee and then two years at St. John's. He came to Lubbock with 179 blocked shots and now has 245 in his career.
Mooney scored four points in overtime on Wednesday and also had six assists after he knocked down three 3-pointers and finished with 13 points against Kansas. Mooney was 5-for-5 with 15 points in the first matchup against Oklahoma State and would finish with six points in the second matchup. He now has three games in his collegiate career with five 3-pointers and has 32 3-pointers this season for the Red Raiders. His conference season has been highlighted by scoring a season-high 22 points against Texas where he was 8-for-10 from the field with three 3-pointers before his 18 points in a 7-for-12 performance against the Horned Frogs in the first matchup. He opened Big 12 play with 14 points in both games against KSU and WVU before scoring seven in the first matchup against OU. Through 15 conference games, he is now averaging 10.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 2.7 assists per game in Big 12 play. An Illinois native, Mooney started his career at Air Force before playing two seasons at South Dakota where he led his team in scoring both years. He is shooting 43.5 percent from the field this season, has scored in double figures in 15 games and leads the team with 48 steals after having 15 in the past seven games. Mooney transferred to Tech having recorded 1,480 points, 166 steals and 228 assists at Air Force and South Dakota. He now has 1,775 points, 214 steals and 314 assists in his collegiate career.
Odiase has made 101 career starts as a Red Raider and is currently averaging 7.4 rebounds per game in the last five contest after having eight against OSU and matching a career-high with 13 against KU. He had back-to-back double-digit rebounding performances with 11 rebounds at OU after having 10 against West Virginia. He had a season-high nine points against the Mountaineers and has played in 116 career games coming into Saturday's contest at TCU. The career resume boasts 545 rebounds, 584 points and 70 blocked shots in his career as a Red Raider that includes two trips the NCAA tournament. A Fort Worth native, Odiase is averaging 4.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in his senior season and is shooting 56.0 percent from the field. He had his first career-high 13 rebound performance in the win over Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 13 after a 10-rebound game against Mississippi Valley State. Odiase scored seven points to go along with his seven rebounds against Duke after going 3-for-4 from the field.
Francis is currently averaging 6.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game and is fourth on the team with 31 3-pointers this season after knocking down three 3-pointers against KU. Francis was limited to four points against OSU, but did add four rebounds and two assists in the win. He scored a season-high 16 points against West Virginia after going 7-for-10 from the field and then had 11 points with three 3-pointers at Oklahoma. A reserve in 27 of 28 games this season with an average of 23.4 minutes per game, Francis had a streak of seven straight games with a 3-pointer end on Wednesday and is 5-for-11 on 3s in the past three games. A Dominican Republic native, he started his career at Florida before transferring to Lubbock where he averaged 5.1 points per game with 33 3-pointers as a junior during the Elite 8 run, including a career-high 17 points in the win over West Virginia. Francis scored 13 points in the opener against UIW and would contribute 10 points and a career-high six assists in the neutral-court win over Memphis. He has scored 355 points in 65 games in his career for the Red Raiders.
Kyler Edwards scored four points against OSU after scoring eight points in the win over KU where he was 2-for-3 on 3-pointers after he hit two 3-pointers. He recorded a career-high six assists and added eight points in the win over OU two games prior and is shooting 34.4 on 3-pointers in conference play. Edwards, who had eight points in the first game against TCU, is averaging 6.0 points and 1.4 assists per game in his freshman season. He has scored nine points in two conference games so far, first in the home game against KSU and then against Iowa State before going 3-for-3 from the field for eight points in Norman. A guard from Arlington, he has scored nine or more points in eight games this season and has recorded four double-digit scoring performances. Edwards recorded a career-high 19 points against Northern Colorado where he went 7-for-7 from the field with four 3-pointers. He is shooting 39.7 percent from the field with 22 3-pointers and has provided 12 assists in the past six games. Texas Tech sophomore Deshawn Corprew scored seven points against OSU and was 2-for-2 on 3-pointers against KU. He is averaging 5.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Corprew, who has made 15 of his last 23 shots from the field, had five points and six rebounds in the first game against TCU. A transfer from South Plains College, he recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds against UTRGV. Corprew, who made his first career start in that game against UTRGV, was 6-for-8 from the field to match a previous career-high of 13 points that he also had against Northern Colorado. Corprew has 17 rebounds in the past five games and now has 42 through the first 15 games Big 12 play. Avery Benson scored a career-high five points against Baylor after recording a career-high three steals in 11 minutes against WVU, while Parker Hicks scored a career-high with five points against the Mountaineers. Hicks was 2-for-4 from the field, including hitting one of the eight 3-pointers by the Red Raiders in the 31-point win. Last Monday, the Tech basketball program announced that freshman Khavon Moore will not play in any remaining games this season and will seek a medical hardship.
COVERING TEXAS TECH: The Red Raiders and TCU will be featured on ESPN2 with Mark Neely and Fran Fraschilla on the call. On the radio, Geoff Haxton and Chris Level will broadcast on Texas Tech Sports Network's flagship station Double T 97.3 in Lubbock. Fans can interact with the broadcast by following @GunsUpRadio on Twitter.
The Red Raiders (23-5, 11-4 Big 12) are coming off a three-game home stand where they knocked off Baylor, Kansas and Oklahoma State to extend the winning streak, while the Horned Frogs (18-10, 6-9 Big 12) fell 104-96 in triple overtime on Tuesday at West Virginia and have lost four of their last five games. Tech earned an 84-65 win in the first matchup between the two teams on Jan. 28 in Lubbock and is currently tied in the Big 12 standings with Kansas State (11-4) and a game ahead of Kansas (10-5 Big 12) and Baylor (10-5 Big 12).
Texas Tech will return from Fort Worth to host Texas at 8 p.m. on Monday in its final game at the United Supermarkets Arena. The game will be featured on ESPN's Big Monday and is Senior Night for Norense Odiase, Brandone Francis, Tariq Owens and Matt Mooney. During halftime of the game the inaugural Ring of Honor class of Rick Bullock, Andre Emmett, Dub Malaise and Jim Reed will be recognized. Along with the men's class, Marsha Sharp, Sheryl Swoopes and Carolyn Thompson will be honored as the first Lady Raider inductees into the Ring of Honor.
Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard has been named a Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year Late Season candidate and comes into Saturday's game with a 68-29 record in three seasons at the Red Raider coach. Beard has led the Red Raiders to a 16-1 home record this season and is 49-5 at home during his three years.
POLLS/RANKINGS: Texas Tech moved up to No. 11 in the Associated Press Top-25 and USA TODAY Coaches Poll on Monday after its win over to Kansas. The Red Raiders are No. 10 in the NCAA NET Rankings and also are at No. 10 in the ESPN Power Rankings and No. 16 in Andy Katz' Power 36 with four games remaining in the regular season. Tech has now been ranked 14 straight weeks after entering the season unranked. The team made its AP Top-25 debut in Week 4 at No. 20 and has been as high as No. 8 in Week 10 and 11. Along with national polls, Texas Tech is second in the nation by holding opponents to 58.1 points per game and a 36.7 shooting percentage this season. During the six-game winning streak the Red Raiders have beat West Virginia (81-50), Oklahoma (66-54), Oklahoma State (78-50), Baylor (86-61), Kansas (91-62) and Oklahoma State (84-80) to improve their scoring margin to 14.5 for the season which is 11th nationally. Tech is ninth nationally by limiting opponents to 29.5 percent shooting on 3-pointers, 25th with 16.04 turnovers forced per game and 22nd with a plus-3.4 turnover margin. The team is second in the Big 12 with 4.8 blocks per game, a 71.5 free-throw percentage, 7.3 steals per game, 133 blocks, 203 steals and a 36.1 shooting percentage on 3-pointers. Individually, Tariq Owens is 16th nationally with 66 blocked shots after having two against Oklahoma State to extend his streak of having at least one block in every game this season. Owens is a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist and is second in the conference with 2.37 blocked shots per game. His 66 blocks are currently fourth all-time at Tech for a single season, behind only Tony Battie who set the single-season record with 71 blocks in the 1996-97 season, Brodney Kennard who had 69 blocks in 1999-2000 and Battie who is third on the list with 68 blocks in the 1995-96 campaign. Jarrett Culver is third in the Big 12 with 18.0 points per game and sixth with 100 assists, while Matt Mooney is currently second in the conference with 1.71 steals per game (48 total).
ELITE DEFENSE: Texas Tech has allowed only three opponents to score over 70 points all season and OSU was the first team to reach 80. Opponents are averaging just 59.5 points per game during six-game winning streak and have been limited to 36.8 percent shooting from the field and 36.7 percent on 3-pointers.
FAST STARTS: Texas Tech has led at halftime by double-digits in seven of its last eight games: Oklahoma State (+10), Kansas (+25), Baylor (+13), Oklahoma State (+19), Oklahoma (+11), West Virginia (+15) and TCU (+16). The only discrepancy during the past seven is a 20-point halftime deficit at Kansas.
20-WIN MILESTONE: The Red Raiders reached the 20-win milestone with their win over Oklahoma State and have now recorded 20 wins in a season 13 times in program history. The team went 27-10 last season and has now had back-to-back 20-win years for the first time since the 2003-04 and 2004-05 under head coach Bob Knight.
MAINTAINING POSSESSION: Texas Tech has a plus-5.2 turnover margin advantage during the course of its six-game winning streak. The Red Raiders have forced 97 turnovers by their opponents during those games and have only lost 66 possessions. For the season, TTU has a plus-3.4 turnover margin advantage which leads the Big 12 and is 25th nationally. Tech committed only seven turnovers against OSU after eight against KU.
3-POINT BARRAGE: Texas Tech matched a program record with 16 3-pointers in the win over the Jayhawks after making 12 in the two games at Oklahoma State and against Baylor. The 3-point explosion started by making 10 at Oklahoma, but cooled off against OSU where the Red Raiders were only 3-for-19. The Red Raiders are 61-for-143 (42.7 %) on 3-pointers during the six-game winning streak. Tech has seven games this season with 10 or more 3s, including four of the last five games.
ROAD SHOW: Texas Tech is currently 4-3 on the road in conference play after earning wins at Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The team is coming off a three-game home stand. On the road in Big 12 play, the Red Raiders have secured wins over West Virginia, Texas, OU and OSU.
HOME DOMINANCE: Texas Tech is 16-1 at home this season and is 49-5 at home under Chris Beard the past three seasons. In Big 12 play, the Red Raiders are 7-1 on their home court this season and 21-5 during the Beard era. Tech is currently 92-75 in conference play and 247-90 all-time at the United Supermarkets Arena since the first game on Nov. 19, 1999.
PLAYER NOTES: Jarrett Culver was named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week for the second time this season on Monday after going for 26 points against Kansas and followed it by recording his third double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Oklahoma State. He comes into Saturday's game having scored 920 points in his career and leads the Red Raiders with 18.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game this season. A sophomore from Lubbock, he scored 18 points and had seven rebounds in the first matchup against TCU. Culver, who is third in the Big 12 in scoring behind only KU's Dedric Lawson (19.0) and Iowa State's Marial Shayok (18.6), had his first double-double of the season by going for 23 points and 13 rebounds in the first matchup against Oklahoma and his second double-double of the season with a career-high 16 rebounds and 20 points against Iowa State. Culver has led the team in scoring in 19 of 28 games and is currently averaging 17.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and has 44 assists through 15 conference games. Culver is on the John R. Wooden Award, Jerry West Award, Oscar Robertson Trophy and Lute Olson Award watch lists, was named to the Sporting News Midseason All-America second-team and earned Big 12 Preseason Honorable Mention honors. He has scored in double figures in 27 of 28 games and is shooting 48.7 percent from the field overall and 43.7 percent in Big 12 play. Culver recorded a career-high with 30 points against Abilene Christian on Dec. 20 where he went 12-for-13 from the field and hit four 3-pointers. He was named the Big 12 Player of the Week after the performance and followed it by going to New York and scoring 25 points against Duke. He has scored in double figures in 14 straight games and has 20 rebounds in the past three games.
Davide Moretti led Texas Tech with 20 points after going 12-for-12 from the free-throw line and 2-for-2 on 3-pointers on Wednesday against Oklahoma State. Moretti is 14-for-22 from beyond the arc (63.6 percent) and 23-for-24 at the free-throw line during the past five games. For the season, Moretti is 78 of 84 (92.9 percent) from the free-throw line which ranks first in the Big 12. He was 3-for-4 and scored 11 points against KU after making four 3-pointers. Moretti, who is currently averaging 12.8 points and 2.5 assists in conference play, dished out a career-high seven assists and scored nine points (3-for-4 3-pointers) in the win at Oklahoma State after he led the Red Raiders with 14 points at Oklahoma. He was 3-for-4 from beyond the arc and finished with 11 points and seven assists in the first matchup against TCU. Moretti recorded a career-high 21 points against Arkansas in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge after going 6-for-9 from the field with three 3-pointers. He's currently shooting 50.7 percent on 3-pointers in conference play and is 52-for-114 from beyond the arc this season. Moretti has scored in double figures in 13 of 15 Big 12 games this season and now has 442 points through 65 games in his career. He has started all 28 games for the Red Raiders this season after making one start in 37 games played as a freshman. A coach's son from Italy, Moretti is averaging 11.2 points and 2.5 assists per game in his second season with the program. He has also registered 17-point performances in wins over Southern Cal and Mississippi Valley State and has two games with six assists in non-conference play. Moretti made a career-high five 3-pointers against MVSU and has scored in double figures in 15 games this season and 17 in his career. He currently leads TTU with his 52 3-pointers and is shooting 45.6 percent from beyond the arc which ranks second in the conference.
After losing five seniors off last season's NCAA Elite Eight team, Texas Tech remained a veteran team through recruiting by adding graduate transfers Matt Mooney (University of South Dakota) and Tariq Owens (St. John's) to go along with returners Norense Odiase and Brandone Francis to make up a senior class of four for the Red Raiders. Owens was advanced to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award Semifinalist Watch List. Mooney and Owens were on the original list, making TTU the only team with two members on the list of 15.
Owens went for 16 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots against OSU after he scored 10 points against KU. He secured his second double-double of the season two weeks ago by scoring 12 points and adding 10 rebounds in the first matchup at Kansas and has at least one blocked shot in all 28 games this season. An Odenton, Maryland native, he had one of his best offensive games of the season after scoring 17 points against TCU where he was 7-for-9 from the field, including going 2-for-2 on 3-pointers in the first matchup between the two teams. He is currently fourth on the Texas Tech single-season list with 66 blocks this season. Tony Battie has the single-season record with 71 blocks in the 1996-97 season. Owens has scored in double figures in six of the last eight Big 12 games and is currently averaging 9.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots through 15 conference games. He has 34 blocks in Big 12 play and is fourth in the conference with a 58.4 shooting percentage. Owens, who led the BIG EAST in blocks the past two seasons while playing at St. John's, established a new Texas Tech single-game record with eight blocks in the win over Memphis on Dec. 1 in Miami after starting his Red Raider career with six blocks against Incarnate Word in the season opener. He had a season-high 18 points against Southern Cal and recorded the team's first double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds in his eight-block performance against Memphis. Owens transferred to Tech after playing his freshman season at Tennessee and then two years at St. John's. He came to Lubbock with 179 blocked shots and now has 245 in his career.
Mooney scored four points in overtime on Wednesday and also had six assists after he knocked down three 3-pointers and finished with 13 points against Kansas. Mooney was 5-for-5 with 15 points in the first matchup against Oklahoma State and would finish with six points in the second matchup. He now has three games in his collegiate career with five 3-pointers and has 32 3-pointers this season for the Red Raiders. His conference season has been highlighted by scoring a season-high 22 points against Texas where he was 8-for-10 from the field with three 3-pointers before his 18 points in a 7-for-12 performance against the Horned Frogs in the first matchup. He opened Big 12 play with 14 points in both games against KSU and WVU before scoring seven in the first matchup against OU. Through 15 conference games, he is now averaging 10.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 2.7 assists per game in Big 12 play. An Illinois native, Mooney started his career at Air Force before playing two seasons at South Dakota where he led his team in scoring both years. He is shooting 43.5 percent from the field this season, has scored in double figures in 15 games and leads the team with 48 steals after having 15 in the past seven games. Mooney transferred to Tech having recorded 1,480 points, 166 steals and 228 assists at Air Force and South Dakota. He now has 1,775 points, 214 steals and 314 assists in his collegiate career.
Odiase has made 101 career starts as a Red Raider and is currently averaging 7.4 rebounds per game in the last five contest after having eight against OSU and matching a career-high with 13 against KU. He had back-to-back double-digit rebounding performances with 11 rebounds at OU after having 10 against West Virginia. He had a season-high nine points against the Mountaineers and has played in 116 career games coming into Saturday's contest at TCU. The career resume boasts 545 rebounds, 584 points and 70 blocked shots in his career as a Red Raider that includes two trips the NCAA tournament. A Fort Worth native, Odiase is averaging 4.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in his senior season and is shooting 56.0 percent from the field. He had his first career-high 13 rebound performance in the win over Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 13 after a 10-rebound game against Mississippi Valley State. Odiase scored seven points to go along with his seven rebounds against Duke after going 3-for-4 from the field.
Francis is currently averaging 6.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game and is fourth on the team with 31 3-pointers this season after knocking down three 3-pointers against KU. Francis was limited to four points against OSU, but did add four rebounds and two assists in the win. He scored a season-high 16 points against West Virginia after going 7-for-10 from the field and then had 11 points with three 3-pointers at Oklahoma. A reserve in 27 of 28 games this season with an average of 23.4 minutes per game, Francis had a streak of seven straight games with a 3-pointer end on Wednesday and is 5-for-11 on 3s in the past three games. A Dominican Republic native, he started his career at Florida before transferring to Lubbock where he averaged 5.1 points per game with 33 3-pointers as a junior during the Elite 8 run, including a career-high 17 points in the win over West Virginia. Francis scored 13 points in the opener against UIW and would contribute 10 points and a career-high six assists in the neutral-court win over Memphis. He has scored 355 points in 65 games in his career for the Red Raiders.
Kyler Edwards scored four points against OSU after scoring eight points in the win over KU where he was 2-for-3 on 3-pointers after he hit two 3-pointers. He recorded a career-high six assists and added eight points in the win over OU two games prior and is shooting 34.4 on 3-pointers in conference play. Edwards, who had eight points in the first game against TCU, is averaging 6.0 points and 1.4 assists per game in his freshman season. He has scored nine points in two conference games so far, first in the home game against KSU and then against Iowa State before going 3-for-3 from the field for eight points in Norman. A guard from Arlington, he has scored nine or more points in eight games this season and has recorded four double-digit scoring performances. Edwards recorded a career-high 19 points against Northern Colorado where he went 7-for-7 from the field with four 3-pointers. He is shooting 39.7 percent from the field with 22 3-pointers and has provided 12 assists in the past six games. Texas Tech sophomore Deshawn Corprew scored seven points against OSU and was 2-for-2 on 3-pointers against KU. He is averaging 5.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Corprew, who has made 15 of his last 23 shots from the field, had five points and six rebounds in the first game against TCU. A transfer from South Plains College, he recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds against UTRGV. Corprew, who made his first career start in that game against UTRGV, was 6-for-8 from the field to match a previous career-high of 13 points that he also had against Northern Colorado. Corprew has 17 rebounds in the past five games and now has 42 through the first 15 games Big 12 play. Avery Benson scored a career-high five points against Baylor after recording a career-high three steals in 11 minutes against WVU, while Parker Hicks scored a career-high with five points against the Mountaineers. Hicks was 2-for-4 from the field, including hitting one of the eight 3-pointers by the Red Raiders in the 31-point win. Last Monday, the Tech basketball program announced that freshman Khavon Moore will not play in any remaining games this season and will seek a medical hardship.
COVERING TEXAS TECH: The Red Raiders and TCU will be featured on ESPN2 with Mark Neely and Fran Fraschilla on the call. On the radio, Geoff Haxton and Chris Level will broadcast on Texas Tech Sports Network's flagship station Double T 97.3 in Lubbock. Fans can interact with the broadcast by following @GunsUpRadio on Twitter.
Leaders on the court and in the classroom! #4To1 https://t.co/dJ1QCOQ5iY
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) February 28, 2019
"We have to continue being who we are."#4To1
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) March 1, 2019
??#WreckEm?? pic.twitter.com/F4XNPaNbFf
Players Mentioned
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