No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 20 Arizona meet Saturday evening in a showdown of Massive 12 Convention contenders in Tucson, Ariz.
The Purple Raiders (18-4, 9-2) are having fun with their greatest Massive 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 sequence after beating Arizona 70-54 on Jan. 18 in Lubbock, Texas.
“I simply love the grit of this workforce,” Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland stated after the Purple Raiders defeated Baylor 73-59 at house Tuesday. “We hold discovering a approach to separate when it issues. We received nice workforce defensive possessions. We are able to nonetheless enhance loads, however I really like seeing our workforce play collectively and for one another.”
The Purple Raiders are limiting foes to 65.1 factors per recreation, which ranked fourth within the Massive 12 getting into Thursday.
The 54 factors Texas Tech allowed Arizona within the first assembly tied a season low for the Wildcats, who lead the Massive 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 way in which 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 troublesome 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 Massive 12 Participant of the Week have helped to gas 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 a giant recreation on Saturday, so there is not any let-up.”
Texas Tech has the Massive 12’s longest energetic successful streak at seven video games.
Likelihood McMillian leads the Massive 12 in 3-point capturing 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 capturing 55.3 p.c from the sphere 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 gained a couple of video games however may simply lose three in a row and be again to sq. one. We now 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 couple 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
