By Steve Habel/Senior Editor
AUSTIN, Texas – Guard Kerwin Roach II wasn’t supposed to play Wednesday against Texas Tech because of the continued rehabilitation of his injured left hand but was cleared for action right before tipoff and was one of the deciding factors in the Longhorns’ 66-58 upset victory over No. 8 Texas Tech at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin.
Roach jumped from the pregame injured list to the top of the stat sheet, scoring 20 points off the bench and adding a toughness on defense that the Longhorns have needed — but have not had — over the past three games.
“I didn’t even know he was playing [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]until right before the game,” Texas coach Shaka Smart said. “Our trainer told me early in the day that ‘Snoop’ (Roach) was going to be ready for West Virginia. It was huge what Snoop was able to do for us tonight because of the extra athleticism.
“We felt like Snoop could get downhill either by attacking or in the pick-and-roll. Our guys played looser tonight and that allowed us to play better and with the poise we needed.”
Texas led, 49-45, with 6:56 to play but forged an 11-5 run fueled by a pair of three-pointers by Eric Davis, Jr., to create separation and a 60-50 advantage at the 3:30 mark. Roach all but clinched the win with a resounding dunk with 2:06 to play and the Longhorns waltzed home in the final stretch.
“Me playing was a game-time decision, because I hadn’t played any five-on-five in the past two weeks and just focused on my conditioning as the bone in my hand heeled,” Roach said. “I was really nervous when I went out there — I felt like a freshman — but I was just thinking about my teammates and how I could contribute.”
Texas has won 22 consecutive home games against Texas Tech, with the Red Raiders’ last win in Austin coming during the 1995-96 season when both schools were in the Southwest Conference.
“We expected Roach to play — we prepared for him,” Texas Tech coach Chris Beard said. “This is not my first rodeo.”
Mohamed Bamba added 15 points and 11 rebounds for Texas (12-6 overall, 3-3 in Big 12 games against Big 12 schools) while Dylan Osetkowski hit for 12 points. The Longhorns outshot Texas Tech, 51.1 percent to 38.2 percent, and had a 32-20 advantage in points in the paint.
Jarrett Culver’s 16 points led Texas Tech (15-3 overall, 4-2 in Big 12). Brandone Francis and Zaire Smith scored 13 points each and Keenan Evans added 11 points for the Red Raiders.
“Snoop really takes charge on our perimeter defense and limited Evans, who is their most dangerous player,” Bamba said. “Having him back out there was a huge boost for us because of his leadership and what he brings to the table.”
Texas, buoyed by the return of Roach (whose availability for the game was announced five minutes before tipoff), let its defense dictate the action in the first half, holding the Red Raiders to 39 percent shooting and forcing seven turnovers while building a 29-25 lead at halftime.
Bamba led the Longhorns with eight points in the half (six of those on thundering dunks including one at the buzzer at the end of the first half) and also grabbed six rebounds. Tech’s Francis led all scorers with 10 points off the bench.
A three-point play by Osetkowski with 12:36 to play boosted UT’s lead to 45-32, but the Red Raiders charged back, scoring eight straight points to get to within 45-40 at the 8:55 mark.
“Texas controlled the tempo of the game, especially early on, and they made shots and got to the line,” Beard said. “I was really impressed with the Longhorns tonight. Shaka puts his players in great positions to make the best of their strengths.
“When you don’t hit shots and don’t get to the line, it’s hard to beat a team like Texas. We gave ourselves a chance to win by not turning over the ball and speeding up the game in the second half. I wish we would have played better tonight but Texas really didn’t let us.”
Next up for Texas is a Saturday afternoon game at rugged and wild No. 6 West Virginia.
“We will have to match West Virginia’s level of intensity because they are going to try to punk us,” Smart said. “We need to be ready for anything when we get up there.”
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