Playing in front of a crowd no larger than one at a 6-A Texas high school basketball game and against a team standing second-to-last in the Big 12, Texas Tech senior Toddrick Gotcher made sure his team did not have a letdown after three emotional victories. The guard from Garland, Texas scored a career-high 24 points to lead Texas Tech over Oklahoma State 71-61.
The victory, Texas Tech’s fourth in a row, pulled head coach Tubby Smith’s team to 7-7 in conference play and 17-9 overall. But more importantly, Texas Tech’s first win in Gallagher Iba Arena in 12 years moved the team one step closer to earning an NCAA tournament bid.