No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 20 Arizona meet Saturday night time in a showdown of Large 12 Convention contenders in Tucson, Ariz.
The Pink Raiders (18-4, 9-2) are having fun with their greatest Large 12 begin in program historical past and the Wildcats (16-6, 10-1) are tied on the prime of the convention with Houston of their first season within the league.
Texas Tech, which is 5-0 on the highway, will try to comb the regular-season collection after beating Arizona 70-54 on Jan. 18 in Lubbock, Texas.
“I simply love the grit of this group,” Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland stated after the Pink Raiders defeated Baylor 73-59 at dwelling Tuesday. “We hold discovering a technique to separate when it issues. We received nice group defensive possessions. We will nonetheless enhance rather a lot, however I like seeing our group play collectively and for one another.”
The Pink Raiders are limiting foes to 65.1 factors per recreation, which ranked fourth within the Large 12 coming into Thursday.
The 54 factors Texas Tech allowed Arizona within the first assembly tied a season low for the Wildcats, who lead the Large 12 with 82.9 factors a recreation.
Within the earlier assembly, Arizona trailed 57-54 with 5:16 remaining however failed to attain the remainder of the best way as Texas Tech completed on a 13-0 run. The Wildcats missed their final 10 pictures, 9 of them 3-pointers.
“Hey, we have been proper there,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd stated. “I imply with 5 minutes to go it is a five-point recreation. Taking part in in a tricky convention, you play on the highway, you are going to have some days like that.”
Arizona has compiled a five-game successful streak since that loss.
After going 0-for-5 from past the arc in that recreation, Wildcats star Caleb Love has made 19 of 45 pictures (42.2 p.c) from lengthy distance within the final 5 video games.
Love’s performances of late because the reigning Large 12 Participant of the Week have helped to gasoline Arizona’s surge.
“I am actually happy with these guys for a way they’ve responded (after the loss to Texas Tech),” Lloyd stated. “However … we received an enormous recreation on Saturday, so there isn’t any let-up.”
Texas Tech has the Large 12’s longest lively successful streak at seven video games.
Likelihood McMillian leads the Large 12 in 3-point taking pictures share (45.5) and Elijah Hawkins leads the convention with 6.1 assists per recreation.
JT Toppin led Texas Tech with 20 factors and 16 rebounds within the earlier recreation with Arizona. He’s second within the convention taking pictures 55.3 p.c from the sector and ranks fourth with 8.4 rebounds per recreation.
“We won’t get complacent,” stated Darrion Williams, who had 17 factors in Tuesday’s win over Baylor. “We have received a number of video games however might simply lose three in a row and be again to sq. one. Now we have to maintain constructing.”
Arizona’s Jaden Bradley, who scored all 17 of his factors within the second half of Tuesday’s 85-74 victory at BYU, is averaging 11.7 factors, 3.8 assists and a pair of.0 steals per recreation. Love averages a team-high 16.3 factors and Tobe Awaka leads the Wildcats with 7.9 rebounds per recreation.
–Discipline Stage Media