No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 20 Arizona meet Saturday evening in a showdown of Huge 12 Convention contenders in Tucson, Ariz.
The Pink Raiders (18-4, 9-2) are having fun with their finest Huge 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 street, 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 group,” Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland mentioned after the Pink Raiders defeated Baylor 73-59 at dwelling Tuesday. “We preserve discovering a approach to separate when it issues. We bought nice group defensive possessions. We will nonetheless enhance loads, however I like seeing our group play collectively and for one another.”
The Pink Raiders are limiting foes to 65.1 factors per recreation, which ranked fourth within the Huge 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 Huge 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 had been proper there,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd mentioned. “I imply with 5 minutes to go it is a five-point recreation. Enjoying in a troublesome convention, you play on the street, you are going to have some days like that.”
Arizona has compiled a five-game profitable 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 %) from lengthy distance within the final 5 video games.
Love’s performances of late because the reigning Huge 12 Participant of the Week have helped to gas Arizona’s surge.
“I am actually happy with these guys for the way they’ve responded (after the loss to Texas Tech),” Lloyd mentioned. “However … we bought a giant recreation on Saturday, so there is not any let-up.”
Texas Tech has the Huge 12’s longest lively profitable streak at seven video games.
Probability McMillian leads the Huge 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 % from the sector and ranks fourth with 8.4 rebounds per recreation.
“We will not get complacent,” mentioned Darrion Williams, who had 17 factors in Tuesday’s win over Baylor. “We have received 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.
–Area Stage Media
