The highly anticipated final game of the regular season between Texas Tech and the Texas basketball teams was over before it really began.
The Red Raiders (19-9, 8-7) lacked energy and vitality, and the Longhorns had both in abundance. Texas cruised through most of the game until it attempted a comeback that came too late for Texas Tech to make any sense in an 81-69 loss at United Supermarket Arena.
more:Beer and water bottles are thrown onto the court during Texas Tech basketball home game vs. Texas
Texas wipes out Texas Tech 20 minutes
Where do I start?
Texas Tech has had the best offense in the country all season by most metrics. It was nowhere to be seen in the first 20 minutes of the match. Not only did Tech make 8 of 33 from the field overall, but the Red Raiders made just 1 of 10 3-pointers.
Meanwhile, the Longhorns built a 22-point lead with just two threes, most of which came in the paint against Robert Jennings, Kyron Lindsey (45 seconds) and Emeli Yaraho.
Dylan Disu (12 points) and Max Abmas (11 points) combined for as many points as a team as Texas Tech.
Depth concerns continue to rear their heads
Texas Tech's eight-man rotation was a hot topic among fans for a while. For most of the year, the Red Raiders had everyone available, so they got it done. They take Warren Washington out of the jump — he missed his third in the past four games because of a foot injury — and the seams begin to come apart.
Jennings has had moments where he looked like he was ready to take a big leap forward, but Tuesday was not one of those moments. Not only did he get hit in the paint on defense, but a lot of the ball slipped out of his hands while he was trying to figure out his next move on offense.
Yaraho was the only big man who showed a lot of fight in the first half, but his limitations and slowness are costing him a bit, which is why he's in the rotation with a healthy Washington. There is no reason.
Kara commotion
The students began camping for the game late last week, hoping for a memorable game. They got it, but for all the wrong reasons.
With about 17 minutes left in regulation, fans began leaving the arena and Texas led by 29 points. That was before Tech got within 15 points with 3:54 remaining. In the meantime, beer and water were thrown onto the court, Flagrant II was ejected by Brock Cunningham, and multiple fans were taken, and in some cases forcibly removed, from the building.
For a variety of reasons, this is not something McCasland is proud of.
What's next?
The Red Raiders will be on the road for their next two games. First, they head to Morgantown for their only game of the regular season against West Virginia. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 starting at 5 p.m. Texas Tech then heads to Stillwater for a return game against Oklahoma State on March 5th.
