Red Raiders take aim at another upset in clash with Sooners

Jan 28, 2015 - 3:42 PM Norman, OK (SportsNetwork.com) - Seeking their second straight win over a ranked opponent, the Texas Tech Red Raiders challenge the 24th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners at the Lloyd Noble Center on Wednesday evening.

Texas Tech took down No. 15 Iowa State at home last Saturday, 78-73, putting the brakes on a six-game losing streak in the process. It was the first victory for the Red Raiders in 2015, and also marked their first Big 12 win of the season. Following this bout, Tech will head to Morgantown to take on No. 17 West Virginia this Saturday.

The fact that Oklahoma is still a member of the Top-25 is somewhat surprising considering the team has lost two in a row and three of its last four overall, albeit to ranked foes West Virginia, Kansas and Baylor. Still, at 12-7 overall and 3-4 in conference, the Sooners need to turn things around if they have any hope of challenging for a favorable postseason position.

Oklahoma owns a 34-20 lead in the all-time series with Texas Tech, but the teams have split the last 10 meetings. The Red Raiders knocked off the Sooners in Norman last season, 68-60, with OU also being ranked 24th at the time.

The teams will square off in Lubbock on Feb. 21 to finish off the regular- season series.

Devaugntah Williams scored 22 points, Toddrick Gotcher tacked on 17, Robert Turned logged a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and every one of those efforts was needed as Texas Tech pulled off the upset of Iowa State over the weekend. The Red Raiders shot just 41.5 percent from the field, but did even better from 3-point range (.458) while also converting 23-of-28 free throws. Meanwhile, the Cyclones found the bottom of the net on only 6-of-31 long-range launches, while going 13-of-17 at the charity stripe.

Williams is the only player for Texas Tech averaging double figures in the scoring column this season, as he nets 11.0 ppg despite lackluster shooting performances from everywhere except the foul line (.750). The team as a whole puts up just 64.7 ppg on shooting efforts that come in at .409 overall, .314 from beyond the arc, and .658 at the stripe, while its defensive stance yields 62.1 ppg, with foes knocking down a mere 40.2 percent of their total shots, which includes 31.8 percent out on the perimeter.

Oklahoma put five players in double figures in its recent clash with Baylor, but none scored more than the 12 points turned in by Buddy Hield and Jordan Woodward. The team made good on only 38.7 percent of its total shots, missing the mark on 18 of its 24 3-point tries along the way. A measly 4-of-7 performance at the free-throw line didn't help matters either. Conversely, the Bears shot 50 percent from the field, which included a 9-of-19 showing from downtown, and they were perfect at the charity stripe (8-of-8). Baylor's bench outscored Oklahoma's by a 19-6 margin.

Hield has done what he can to keep the Sooners in contention this season, as he averages 17.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest. Isaiah Cousins and TaShawn Thomas are netting double digits on a consistent basis as well, but at just 12.5 and 11.0 ppg, respectively, the production they provide is certainly more complementary than game-changing. Still, Oklahoma is putting up 72.5 ppg while yielding 62.9 ppg, and it also owns favorable, albeit narrow margins in both rebounding (+1.4) and turnovers (+0.9). The team's defensive stance permits its opponents only 38.1 percent success on their field goal attempts, which includes a 30.5 percent showing from beyond the arc.