LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - As Aaron Ross discussed his drawn-out free throw shooting routine postgame, it prompted Texas Tech coach Chris Beard to jokingly interrupt and point out that Ross also takes his time in other facets of his life.
Saturday, in a 77-69 win over Oklahoma, Ross’ deliberate, focused free-throw approach paid off: the redshirt-senior forward made 6 of 8 free throws in the final 2:30 and finished with 18 points.
“(Assistant coach Larry Brown) is on me every day,” Ross said. “Ten free throws a day. That’s been my routine all my life. Just take my time at the free throw line. And unfortunately, I missed two free throws today. Kind of disappointed with myself.”
Keenan Evans and Justin Gray finished with 14 points apiece for the Red Raiders (16-7, 4-6 Big 12). Zach Smith added 12 points and nine rebounds and Anthony Livingston scored 11.
“We give ourselves a chance when we don’t turn over the ball and take great shots,” Evans said. “Even though this league, almost every game has come down to one possession games. We just wanted to really finish this one out so we can turn around our season.”
Kameron McGusty led Oklahoma with 16 points. Rashard Odomes added 13 points while Jordan Woodard and Khadeem Lattin scored 11 apiece.
Two free throws by Ross capped an 8-2 run and put the Red Raiders up 70-63 with 1:49 left. Kristian Doolittle made a 3-pointer to pull Oklahoma (8-14, 2-8) to 71-67 with 38 second left but Ross, Evans and Gray each hit 2 of 2 free throws from there to seal it.
“Too many breakdowns in the last five minutes,” Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said. “Too many wasted possessions. Fouled. Couldn’t keep the ball in front of us as well as we need to. Tech took advantage of that.”
Texas Tech built a 23-14 lead after Ross and Livingston hit back-to-back 3s. During that stretch, Oklahoma was scoreless for six-plus minutes and missed 10 straight shots. The Sooners made seven of their last nine first-half shots, but trailed 36-29 at the break.
Making just his second start this season, junior transfer Niem Stevenson finished with eight points, seven rebounds and three assists for Texas Tech.
“I think as of the last couple of games, he’s kind of turning the corner individually,” Beard said of Stevenson. “But the exciting thing is there is even a bigger ceiling for Niem. I thought played a nice floor game tonight.”
BIG PICTURE
Oklahoma: The Sooners, who start three underclassmen, have gotten strong contributions from freshmen McGusty and Doolittle. The duo combined to average 27.1 points per game in January.
Texas Tech: Despite beating then-No. 7 West Virginia and No. 25 Kansas State, the Red Raiders have not won consecutive Big 12 conference games this season.
UP NEXT
The Sooner host West Virginia on Wednesday. Oklahoma beat the Mountaineers 89-87 in overtime on Jan 18.
The Red Raiders visits TCU, one of three teams they have beaten in conference play, Wednesday.
STRONG START
Beard’s 16 wins this year place him third all-time among Texas Tech coaches in their first seasons. Gene Gibson won 19 in 1961-62 and Bob Knight had 23 victories in 2001-02.
“Coach Beard is doing an outstanding job - I love the way his guys play and focus,” Kruger said. “And their toughness and their commitment. No surprise there, because he’s done that everyplace he’s been.”
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