Texas Tech Put No. 3 Illinois in a 20-Point Hole. How Did It Happen?

Illinois got the deficit down to one with 5:37 left in Lubbock. Andrej Stojakovic’s layup made it 65–64, and a game that had looked over at halftime suddenly came down to whether the Fighting Illini could string together a few more stops and scores. They never got in front. No. 16 Texas Tech won 84–78 on Tuesday night after leading from the opening basket to the final horn.

The comeback explains why Illinois still has plenty to work with. The first half explains why the Red Raiders deserved to win. Illinois shot 50 percent for the game, 10 percentage points better than Texas Tech, yet spent the entire night chasing. The Red Raiders had more ways to score when their shots stopped falling, and they had already spent 20 minutes making Illinois pay for giving away possessions.

Texas Tech built the lead on Illinois’ mistakes

Texas Tech led 49–29 at halftime, and 15 of those 49 points came off Illinois turnovers. That total stands out because the Illini were already struggling to turn their half-court possessions into points. They made four of 16 threes before the break. Every turnover took away a chance to get to the rim, draw a foul or give a shooter a better look. The Red Raiders turned those lost chances into points at the other end.

Cruz Davis gave Texas Tech a reliable scorer while it was building the lead. He scored 13 of his 20 points in the first half and finished with five assists. Jamichael Stillwell supplied 11 points and 13 rebounds in his season debut. The Red Raiders won the rebounding battle 43–32 and had a 15–10 edge in second-chance points. For a Texas Tech team playing without JT Toppin as he recovers from a torn ACL, Stillwell’s work on the glass showed how the frontcourt could influence a game against a top-five opponent.

Quentin Coleman gave Illinois a way back

Illinois’ second-half offense looked different because Quentin Coleman and Stojakovic gave Texas Tech two problems to solve. Coleman scored 14 of his 19 points after halftime and made all five of his field-goal attempts in the half, four from beyond the arc. Stojakovic also scored 14 after halftime, getting to the foul line and making five of six there. Illinois shot 58.1 percent from the field in the second half and scored 49 points.

The sequence that took Illinois from down 13 to down four showed how fast the game could change. Coleman hit back-to-back threes, then Tomislav Ivisic converted a three-point play to make it 61–57 with 9:13 left. Stojakovic brought Illinois within one a few minutes later. That stretch gives Brad Underwood something to study as he builds the offense. Coleman can change the score in two trips. Ivisic and Stojakovic can keep that run going when the next opening is inside the arc.

The free-throw line decided how much the rally could buy

Texas Tech made 23 of 26 foul shots. Illinois made eight of 19. The Red Raiders could score at the line when their field-goal percentage cooled, and they used that advantage again after Coleman’s final three cut the margin to 80–76 with 34 seconds left. The Illini had the shooting to get close. The Red Raiders had enough possessions and enough points at the stripe to stay ahead.

When Illinois returns home to face Sam Houston on Friday, the first thing to watch is how it handles its opening possessions. Who settles the offense when the first option gets taken away? How quickly can Underwood get Coleman involved without asking him to shoot the team out of trouble? Texas Tech showed how expensive those early empty trips can become. Illinois spent