Texas Tech walked out of Lubbock with a win that could loom large when March arrives, and Cruz Davis was right at the center of it.
The Red Raiders knocked off No. 3 Illinois 84-78 on Tuesday night, getting 20 points and five assists from their point guard in a game that swung from control to chaos before Tech finally steadied itself at the finish. A blistering first half gave the Red Raiders a 20-point cushion at the break, but Illinois chipped away hard in the second half and eventually pulled within one.
Texas Tech still found enough answers to close it out. The biggest ones came at the free-throw line and on the glass, where the Red Raiders held up under pressure and kept Illinois from completing the comeback.
The foul line told a big part of the story. Texas Tech went 23-26 there, a sharp turnaround after opening the season by going 19-31 in each of its first two games. Illinois, meanwhile, never found a rhythm at the stripe and finished 8-19, a 42% mark that hurt badly as the Illini tried to claw back into the game.
One of the night’s most important developments was the debut of Jamichael Stillwell. The UCF transfer, a 6-foot-8, 245-pound senior, had recently received a temporary injunction to play a fifth year of college basketball, and he made the most of his first appearance in a Texas Tech uniform.
Stillwell came off the bench and played 26 minutes, finishing with 11 points and 13 rebounds. His size and physicality gave Tech a real edge inside, especially against a taller Illinois group. He looked like the strongest forward Texas Tech has had since Norense Odiase, and his presence changed the tone of the game in the paint.
Texas Tech also had to navigate a scare with Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn. Early in the second half, he collided with an Illinois player and left with a leg injury. He briefly returned, but he did not finish the game, and Illinois’ comeback gained traction after he was out of the rotation.
Gibbs-Lawhorn had been excellent in the first half against his former team, scoring 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting to share the team lead. After the break, though, he was limited to just a few minutes and added only two more points. With him sidelined, Texas Tech’s half-court offense got sticky, and Davis was left as the team’s only real creator off the dribble.
Even with that, the Red Raiders held on.
Darrion Williams, however, had a quieter night than Texas Tech needed. The fifth-year senior missed all five of his field-goal attempts, though he did go 4-5 from the free-throw line. He added five rebounds and two assists, but the Red Raiders were looking for more from him, especially once Gibbs-Lawhorn went down.
Williams has yet to score in double figures this season, and that kind of production will have to change if Texas Tech is going to reach its ceiling. On Tuesday, though, the Red Raiders had enough from Davis, enough from Stillwell, and enough grit to finish off one of the biggest wins of the early season.
In Other News...
Texas Tech Faces A Huge Big 12 Test With One New Concern
Texas Tech heads into its Big 12 matchup with Oklahoma State carrying plenty of momentum and a national ranking to match, but the Cowboys have also arrived with an offense that has made this game feel bigger than a typical midseason conference test. Both teams have been putting up strong numbers lately, and the matchup brings together two ranked programs, with Texas Tech at No. 12 and Oklahoma State at No. 25, in a game that should say plenty about where each stands in the league race.
The spotlight figures to fall on the quarterbacks, with Oklahoma State leaning on Drew Mestemaker and Texas Tech turning to Thomas Castellanos to keep its attack rolling. Recent game results and coach comments have only added to the sense that this one could turn on execution and composure, especially with one new concern hanging over the Red Raiders as they prepare for a tougher-than-usual conference challenge. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Faces A Big 12 Test That Could Reshape Everything
Texas Tech heads to Boone Pickens Stadium on Nov. 14 for a Big 12 matchup that arrives with both teams still carrying plenty of weight in the conference race. The Red Raiders come in at 8-1, while Oklahoma State is 6-3, and the matchup has the feel of one of those late-season games that can shift how the rest of the league views both programs. Quarterbacks Thomas Castellanos and Drew Mestemaker are expected to be under center, giving the game a clear spotlight on the two offenses.
For Texas Tech, this is the kind of road test that can sharpen a strong season or expose the thin margin that still exists in conference play. Oklahoma State has enough on its rsum to make this more than a simple home date, and the prediction attached to the game leans toward the Cowboys, which only adds to the intrigue for a Red Raiders team trying to keep its momentum intact. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Has Momentum Building In More Than Just Football
Momentum around Texas Tech is showing up in more places than just the football field. The Lady Raiders rolled past Lamar 78-28 behind Stephanie Okechukwus 21 points, five rebounds and three blocks, while the soccer team kept its postseason push alive with a 2-0 win over UCF to reach the Big 12 Tournament semifinals. Gianna Gregorie and Kaitlyn Giametta supplied the goals in a result that kept the Red Raiders fall sports slate moving in the right direction.
The football program is doing its part, too, with Thomas Castellanos earning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors after a strong outing and A.J. Holmes landing among the semifinalists for the Bednarik Award. Even the future is starting to take shape, with softball set to join the 2027 Shriners Childrens Clearwater Invitational. For a program that wants to be relevant across the board, it has been a good stretch to have on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]