Two paths presented themselves to Darrion Williams in the final minutes of Saturday's Big 12 Conference game at United Supermarket Arena.
Option one was to shoot a mid-range jumper UCF wide open for the 6-foot-6 forward. Williams made several such looks when the Knights went into the zone to slow down the Texas Tech basketball team's offense. Although he missed several shots throughout the game, Williams felt he had to hit.
The second option was to drive to the cup. The UCF defense was good at crowding the rim and forcing tough looks all afternoon, but he had a clear lane to the hole.
Williams paused for a moment, got up and nailed the shot, giving Tech a 60-57 lead.
It was just one of many key plays Williams made throughout the game. His double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds led the Red Raiders (17-6, 6-4) to a 66-59 victory, ending the team's losing streak at three games.
“I'm really happy to win,” Williams said. “I'm tired of losing.”
Williams had another decision to make before the game.
For Tech's past two games, Williams began wearing a headband. Clearly superstitious, Williams wore a headband after the Red Raiders lost both contests, even though one of them involved the Nevada transfer, and he scored a career-high total of 17 points against Baylor. decided to abolish it.
Hats aside, Williams has become an even bigger factor in Texas Tech's operation as of late. His 37 minutes, 53 seconds of court time against the Knights marked Tech's third straight game. Every second mattered to snap the slide.
“His ability to not turn the ball over, make simple plays, handle the ball, pass and give us another player who can make decisions is really huge for us,” Tech coach Grant McCasland said. Yes, and we cannot do that.” I overstated how important he is to our team. ”
Part of getting back in the win column was on the board, which has been an area of concern for McCasland all season.
Game overview:Darrion Williams' double-double keeps 23rd-ranked Texas Tech basketball team from losing: 3 points
Saturday was the second time in Big 12 play that the Red Raiders won the rebound battle, scoring 44 points to UCF's 37, including a 14-12 lead on the offensive glass. Warren Washington (10 points), who returned after missing Tuesday's game due to illness, helped the cause by adding 11 total rebounds, including six on the offensive end.
“They did a really good job of rebounding the basketball,” UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said. “I thought Williams and Washington were great. Those two are active on both boards. . . . Just their activities alone, I think there was a level of desire, you know, urgency.” He was really honed in on his effort to get to the offensive boards and defensive rebounds. ”
Dawkins was without the team's best rebounder in 7-foot center Ibrahima Diallo, but Texas Tech took advantage of that with Washington's return.
“Obviously rebounding is one of our weaknesses,” Washington said. “That's something we've been working really hard on in practice. It's good to be able to win the rebound battle.”
Texas Tech's high-scoring guard trio of Pop Isaacs, Joe Toussaint and Chance McMillian combined for 23 points on 6-of-32 field goals (3-of-14 from 3-point range). Washington, Williams and Kerwin Walton scored. Hard labor.
Walton started Tech with 12 points in the first half, with the senior wing making four threes (no other player hit more than one). This gave the Red Raiders the lead at halftime, with Williams and Washington handling the rest.
The performance from the post came at the perfect time for the Red Raiders. Next up was a home game against Kansas on Monday, which was a short one for both teams, but the fourth-ranked Jayhawks held off No. 13 Baylor 64-61 on Saturday.
more:Opinions on the Texas Tech basketball team shouldn't change during the three-game slide | Giese
Texas Tech and Kansas have similar roster structures, with most games revolving around center. For the University of Kansas, that's Hunter Dickinson, a 7-foot-2 transfer from Michigan. They don't tend to have success behind the arc, and everything will be in the paint for the Jayhawks, which will keep players like Williams and Washington busy.
After overcoming a losing streak, the Red Raiders may look to build momentum heading into the remaining eight Big 12 games. As McCasland has said for weeks, Texas Tech's potential lies in handling the glass, and the players know that.
“We've been struggling with (rebounding) the last few weeks,” Williams said, “so we went into today's game emphasizing that in practice and we've got to keep pushing it forward. Just keep going. It is only for one game. ”
