Field Level Media
Aug 27, 2012
On a night when 11th-ranked Texas Tech couldn't do much right on offense in the second half, the Red Raiders found a way to get the ball to the man they needed to with the game on the line.
Davide Moretti calmly swished four free throws in the final 18 seconds Wednesday to cap a perfect night at the stripe and help the Red Raiders stave off Oklahoma State in overtime, 84-80, in Lubbock, Texas.
The sluggish win boosts Texas Tech (23-5, 11-5 Big 12) into a first-place tie with Kansas State in the conference standings with three games to go.
Red Raiders senior Matt Mooney hit two big driving bank shots in the final 1:13 of overtime, and Moretti helped ice the win with his free throws, the last two of his 12-for-12 night at the stripe coming with eight seconds left in OT.
Cowboys guard Lindy Waters III forced overtime when he sprinted down the court and hit an off-balance 3-pointer as time expired in regulation, capping his personal run of four 3-pointers in the last 55 seconds of regulation.
He also connected on another trey to even the score 78-78 with 1:01 to go in overtime.
Waters led the Cowboys (10-18, 3-12) with 26 points, and Thomas Dziagwa added 20. The duo combined for 13 of Oklahoma State's 17 3-pointers.
In the first game after an energetic, 29-point home rout of Kansas, Texas Tech looked like a team enduring an emotional letdown, and the struggling Cowboys played well enough in the second half to create plenty of doubt.
Walk-on Dee Mitchell, who was added to the Cowboys' roster on Feb. 11 after three players were dismissed, hit a 3-pointer from the left wing with 3:18 on the clock to lift the underdog visitors in front 59-58 after they trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half.
The Red Raiders responded with two Moretti free throws to regain the lead, and the sophomore guard connected on a 3-pointer 52 seconds later.
Texas Tech struggled offensively in the second half to fuel the Cowboys' comeback. Until the Moretti 3-pointer and Culver's driving basket moments later, the Red Raiders made only 7 of 19 field-goal attempts and were 0-for-6 from 3-point range.
That came on the heels of the Red Raiders making a season-high 16 treys in the romp over Kansas.
Culver typified the tough offensive night for Texas Tech, making only 7 of 22 field-goal tries. The Raiders were 3-for-19 from outside the 3-point arc.
--Field Level Media