Texas Tech is now 7-3 on the season, but all three losses are against the only three ranked opponents this year. After leading Texas Tech to an Elite Eight run last season, head coach Grant McCasland knows these types of games are important to the development of the team. Regardless of the loss, McCasland wants to see more of this type of game.
“I love this opportunity to play in Dallas at American Airlines and to have an opponent like Arkansas. I mean sign me up for this every year,” McCasland said in his postgame comments.
It was a competitive game between two teams ranked in the Top-25. Texas Tech had built a ten-point lead with just under six minutes left to go in the first half. They would give up the lead, but still be ahead by six at the halftime break. The Red Raiders continued to lead by five with under ten minutes to play, but Trevon Brazile would take over for Arkansas from there. He scored 14 points in the last ten minutes as Arkansas went on to win 93-86.
“I thought Brazile’s really improved in every aspect and I liked our matchup with him in the paint honestly,” said the Tech head coach about the play of the Arkansas star. “ He’s got great length and athleticism, and I thought he played tremendous today.”
The late-game collapse from the Red Raiders gave McCasland a lot to work on for his team, as they hope to make a run again in the NCAA Tournament.
“I thought they were more competitive than we were late in the game. We missed some opportunities to really be competitive in a way that I think will allow us to be great, but they’re a great team, and I thought they were more connected than we were late,” the head coach lamented.
Texas Tech returns home on Tuesday to face Northern Colorado. They get another chance to face a top-level team at a neutral site next Saturday, as they face No. 3 Duke at Madison Square Garden.
