Texas Tech fell to North Carolina State 80-67 in a first-round NCAA Tournament matchup, ending the Red Raiders’ season Thursday in Pittsburgh.
Here are three takeaways from Texas Tech-NC State:
Red Raiders can’t slow the post
As feared before Thursday night, the Red Raiders had no answer for NC State big man DJ Burns Jr. He scored 16 points but wasn’t the only one to wreck shop in the paint.
Ben Middlebrooks, who averages five points per game, posted 21 points and four rebounds in an excellent, unexpected performance off the bench, while Burns was hot after an 0-for-4 shooting start.
While the Red Raiders got Warren Washington back, there was no answer for the Wolfpack’s big men, who posted 42 points in the paint.
Ice cold from beyond the arc
Tech’s offensive attack struggled to get going against the Wolfpack, struggling to knock anything down.
Pop Isaacs didn’t shoot well, going 1-for-10 from the field in the loss, while Kerwin Walton was unable to take a 3-pointer until late in the second half.
Tech finished 7-for-31 from beyond the arc, ultimately costing the Red Raiders their season.
Tech’s season comes to a close
Year 1 under head coach Grant McCasland is in the books.
It ended with a first-round loss, but the Red Raiders found themselves back in the dance after enduring a nightmare offseason situation that led to the coaching change.
Overall a strong job by McCasland to take a group that battled injury and lacked high-end talent to the NCAA Tournament, and a fourth-place finish in the Big 12.
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