Rookie coaches learn a lot over the course of a college basketball season. Penny Hardaway will now learn how to cope with a losing streak. The 20th-ranked Red Raiders of Texas Tech erased an 12-point second-half deficit to beat Memphis at the Hoophall Invitational in Miami. The loss drops the Tigers to 3-4 for the season while Texas Tech improves to 7-0.
Jarrett Culver led the Red Raiders with 20 points. Tariq Owens added 13 points, 11 rebounds, and eight blocked shots.
Freshman guard Tyler Harris led the Tigers with 17 points and senior forward Kyvon Davenport added 13 off the bench. Senior guard Jeremiah Martin continues to search for his game, missing 10 of 12 shots Saturday afternoon (and all five of his three-point attempts). Memphis shot 35 percent from the field while Texas Tech hit 49 percent from the floor.
The game was the first between these programs since early in the 1985-86 season.
The Tigers’ next seven games will be played at FedExForum, starting Tuesday night when South Dakota State visits. Memphis will then face a pair of regional rivals on consecutive Saturdays: UAB (December 8th) and Tennessee (December 15th).