Even before the Texas Tech basketball team played against Cincinnati, Grant McCasland knew Robert Jennings was ready to bounce back from his performance against TCU.
A 6-foot-7 big man, Jennings is relied on by starter Warren Washington and provides momentum off the bench with his ability to protect himself in the post. Things didn't go so well against the Horned Frogs earlier this week. McCasland said Jennings was the victim of a domino effect where one mistake led to another.
But McCasland never had any doubts in Jennings' mind. Jennings was rewarded for his coach's faith Saturday.
With Washington not 100% healthy and Lamar Washington out with an illness, the already thin 15th-ranked Red Raiders found themselves in a tight spot against Cincinnati. For at least the half, Jennings gave his team momentum, setting a career-high in points before halftime with 14 points and six rebounds (four rebounds on offense).
Unfortunately for Jennings, his podium finish was unsuccessful. Texas Tech (16-5, 5-3) suffered its first home loss of the season, falling 75-72 to the Bearcats at United Supermarket Arena, following a setback in Fort Worth.
Game overview:Cincinnati suffers first home loss of the season to Texas Tech Basketball: 3 takeaways
“I think this team is held to a very high standard,” Jennings said. “Coach gives us very high standards, so we feel like we're not going to back down. We're going to use that as motivation. We're going to get even better.”
McCasland echoed Jennings' sentiments, calling the Red Raiders' performance Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd of 15,098 “unacceptable.”
It would have been easy for McCasland to make excuses. The Washingtons' health aside, Joe Toussaint was in foul trouble, Pop Isaacs struggled until late in the game, and the Bearcats used their physicality to take away Tech's 3-point shooting talent. The Red Raiders were just 5-of-15 from deep.
Just like after the TCU game, McCasland took the blame instead.
“They just kept going over (screens),” McCasland said. “I thought I had a back cut, so I took advantage of that and put pressure on the rim. That was my fault. I was a little too late in the game. I wish I could have gotten a ball screen in the middle and moved. “We have to have the ball more. We have to do better to make sure we use our strengths.”
McCasland also won't allow the Big 12 to play for the simple reason that it's a matter of life and death, but few would blame him for that after suffering back-to-back losses for the first time this season. But that's not the only thing the Red Raiders have faced this season.
Through Saturday's game, there have been 17 times that a Big 12 team has lost at least two consecutive conference games (including Baylor's three-game losing streak, Kansas State's current four-game losing streak and Oklahoma State's six-game losing streak in its season opener). Only Iowa State and Kansas can say they avoided back-to-back contest withdrawals through the first month.
It's never that simple. It's also not that complicated. Losing is inevitable in a challenging league like the Big 12, and no home court is safe. That doesn't mean they'll get along well with the Red Raiders.
more:Margin for error remains thin as Texas Tech basketball team seeks Big 12 crown | Giese
Texas Tech will need to find a reason to shake off a tough performance, as Jennings did in his first career game against Cincinnati.
“We weren't very good,” McCasland said. “We weren't 100 percent, but, well, I really appreciate the way this team fought and fought. It's unacceptable. We're not good enough in this building. We want to win every home game. I think so.”
“We're disappointed. They're disappointed. They're in tears in the locker room. This team is connected. They love each other and they just didn't get it done tonight.” is”.
