Oklahoma Sooners vs Texas Tech Red Raiders Match Player Stats On Jan 08, 2019

Texas Tech continues to find ways to win, and its latest result may be its best of the season.

Jarrett Culver scored 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for his first double-double of the season, and Davide Moretti contributed 12 points as the eighth-ranked Red Raiders rallied to top 23rd-ranked Oklahoma 66-59 on Tuesday night in Lubbock, Texas.

Pushed to the limit for a third Big 12 Conference game in a row, Texas Tech (14-1, 3-0) responded in the second half to erase a rare home deficit and climb into first place all alone in the league standings.

Christian James paced the Sooners (12-3, 1-2) with 14 points, and Brady Manek added 13, but shooting struggles caught up with Oklahoma in the second half.

The Sooners were up 40-33 after Manek hit a 3-pointer with 17:23 to play. Texas Tech then started chipping away, relying on the teamwork and defensive tenacity that have been its signatures all season.

Brandone Francis soon triggered a 12-4 run with a 3-pointer. When Matt Mooney beat the Oklahoma defense on a dribble-drive for a layup, the Raiders went in front 48-46 and never trailed again.

The Sooners, whose two league losses have both come on the road to top-10 foes, pulled even 51-51 on another Manek 3-pointer with 4:44 to go.

Culver, who made 8 of 13 shots from the floor, scooted along the baseline for a reverse layup and moments later hit a shot that typified the second half for Texas Tech. He subsequently missed a close-in bank shot but muscled through a crowd for the rebound and powered up over two defenders for a basket that boosted the Raiders' lead to 58-53.

The seven-point final margin was accounted for at the free-throw line. The Red Raiders made all 17 of their foul shots, while the Sooners made 10 of 14.

--Field Level Media