KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Arizona Wildcats defeated the Texas Tech Red Raiders, 86-80, in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals on Friday at T-Mobile Center.
While the Red Raiders get ready to play in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals on Friday, here are three things I noticed while covering the game here in KC, including Arizona’s offensive efficiency in the first half, Texas Tech’s resiliency and Caleb Love, who looks as locked in as any player you’ll find in the Big 12 right now.
ARIZONA’S EFFICIENCY
On Thursday, Arizona was the team that came flying out of the gate offensively against Kansas. The Wildcats did the same against Texas Tech on Saturday.
By halftime, the Wildcats were only up eight points, but their shooting splits were insane — 65.4% from the field, 62.5% from the 3-point line and 100% from the free-throw line. That was unsustainable, naturally. But, for a half? Man, you’ll take it.
Arizona made 17-of-26 shots. Where did that come from? Well, in part it was 22 points in the paint to Tech’s 10. The Wildcats only committed six turnovers. They held Tech to 32.4% shooting, and Arizona’s defense isn’t always on point.
When a team shoots like that, you don’t worry that the rebounding margin is even (17 to 17) or that the Wildcats didn’t have a second-chance point for the first 20 minutes. When you shoot like that, it’s irrelevant.
My question at halftime was how far the Wildcats might fall off from that percentage? Tech needed to shoot better, of course. But the Red Raiders also needed the Wildcats to cool off.
Yes, the Wildcats cooled off. But, by the end of the second half they shot 40%. The percentage probably would have been better if not for a stretch in the middle of the half when their shot selection was suspect.
For the game, that shooting split was 50/50/76.2. In March Madness, that will win you some ballgames.
TECH’S RESILIENCY
This isn’t the first game this season the Red Raiders have played without guards Darrion Williams and Chance McMillian this season. Texas Tech is hoping it will be the last time.
The Red Raiders have proven to be a resilient bunch throughout the season. They’ve been without several key players at various times. When the probable starter list came out on Saturday, they were on it. By tip-off, the lineup was Elijah Hawkins, Christian Anderson, JT Toppin, Kerwin Walton and Federiko Federicko.
Tech fell behind quickly but rallied back. When Walton — who was red hot on Thursday from the 3-point line — couldn’t get anything to fall, Anderson and Hawkins did. When Toppin was sidelined for several minutes for reasons I couldn’t figure out, Federiko stepped up and scored five points.
Even as Tech missed 10 of its last 11 shots of the first half, and Arizona made its last six and fell behind by eight points, I had no doubt Tech would find a way to get back in the game.
So, naturally the Red Raiders roared back. They shot better than 50% for the second half. Texas Tech worked and fought and trimmed that Arizona lead down to nearly nothing. The Red Raiders weren’t quite able to get over the hump. But there was no quit in a team down two of its best perimeter scorers.
That bodes well for next week. Yes, the Red Raiders need Williams and McMillian back. But in a 40-minute, survive-and-advance scenario, you need a team willing to lock in and fight, even if they’re short-handed.
The Red Raiders have proven that time and again. That’s why I think they have Final Four potential, especially with Williams and McMillian in the lineup.
LOVE LOCKED IN
When we get to the NCAA Tournament next week, I expect Arizona guard Caleb Love to have a huge tournament. He’s primed to do it.
He was completely locked in against Texas Tech, a night after he only scored 11 points against Kansas, but did all the little thing you need a guard to do to win.
There were times on Friday night that he took over. There was little time for rest. There were times he just went vertical.
He tapered off some in the second half, but he was there when it counted. Once Tech cut the lead to four, he drove into the paint for a floater with 2:49 left, putting Arizona back up six and came out of the paint flexing a bicep to the Arizona crowd.
On the next possession he worked the screen-and-roll with Henri Veesaar and set the big man up for a perfect layup. On the other end, it Love who saved a loose ball going out of bounds and started the next Wildcats possession, which ended up as another Vessaar basket.
Love finished with 27 points, five rebounds and one assist. He wasn’t the only reason Arizona won. He was just the biggest.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
