Texas Tech blew a five-point lead in the final minute of regulation to allow No. 7 West Virginia to get a shot to earn a win in overtime, but in the extra frame, the Red Raiders buried a pair of critical threes, including this game-winner from Anthony Livington, to land a 77-76 upset over the Mountaineers.
Texas Tech just beat No. 7 West Virginia in overtime thanks to this game-winner. pic.twitter.com/VlK4OagWWL
— Rob Dauster (@RobDauster) January 4, 2017
This is a massive win for Tech, who blew a late 14-point lead at Iowa State over the weekend. West Virginia is a team that the metrics love, deservedly in the top ten at the midway point of the season. Come Selection Sunday, this is going to be a really nice victory for Tech to hang their résumé on.
And don’t be surprised when this isn’t the last big win that Texas Tech lands.
Because Chris Beard has proven that he is a flat-out winner.
He’s 12-2 this season with Tech, his first season as the head coach in Lubbock. In his first year as the head coach of Little Rock last season, he turned a 13-18 team into a 30-5 team that upset No. 5 seed Purdue in the first round of the NCAA tournament. In four season as an NCAA coach, he’s 89-22 despite being at three different school during that time, with Tech being the only program at the high major level.
And now he’s running a program that went to the NCAA tournament last season. In other words, the Big 12 should be put on notice.
I don’t think Texas Tech is going to threaten Kansas or Baylor for the Big 12 title, but I thought West Virginia would, and the Mountaineers just got beaten by the Red Raiders.
Playing Texas Tech is no longer the soft spot on the Big 12 schedule.