Mississippi State had the true freshman 5-star All-American on its side but it was one of Texas Tech’s unheralded sophomores that made the two plays of the game in the Red Raider’s 74-72 victory Friday afternoon in the Puerto Rico Tip-off.
With Texas Tech nursing a two-point lead, sophomore forward Zach Smith missed an easy layup but had the presence of mind and the athletic ability to grab his own rebound and score on an emphatic put-back dunk for the final two of his twelve points on the day.
“I didn’t really realize I could reach it,” Smith said.