BYU Cougars' Paint Power Falls Short Against Texas Tech Red Raiders

The BYU Cougars faced off against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at the United Supermarkets Arena, resulting in a 84-71 defeat for the visiting team. The loss brought BYU's record to 11-4, while Texas Tech improved to 15-2. Despite a strong showing in the paint with 40 points, the Cougars struggled to maintain their lead and ultimately fell behind.

First Half

The first half saw both teams battling closely, with BYU scoring 31 points compared to Texas Tech's 32. Robert Wright III was instrumental for the Cougs, contributing significantly with his shooting accuracy of 53 percent from the field. However, turnovers plagued BYU as they committed a total of 12 throughout the game.

Second Half

In the second half, Texas Tech surged ahead by capitalizing on fast breaks and three-point shots. The Red Raiders outscored BYU by a margin of twelve points in this period alone. Aleksej Kostic tried to rally his team with crucial assists but couldn't close the gap as effectively as needed.

Key Plays and Stats

A pivotal moment came when AJ Dybantsa made an impressive block that energized his teammates momentarily; however, it wasn't enough to turn things around completely for BYU. The team's free throw percentage stood at an impressive 86 percent but was overshadowed by their inability to convert more three-point attempts successfully.

Despite these efforts from key players like Richie Saunders who added defensive pressure with two steals and one block during critical moments—Texas Tech's efficiency proved too much for them on this occasion.

As fans reflect on what went wrong for BYU Cougars during this matchup against such formidable opponents like those found within today's top-tier college basketball programs nationwide—it becomes clear there are areas needing improvement before future contests arise again soon enough!

Looking ahead: Mark your calendars! On January 24th at Marriott Center located right here within Provo itself (broadcast live via FOX), our beloved Y will host Utah Runnin' Utes next time around—don't miss out watching all action unfold firsthand either online or TV alike!

Share your thoughts about how things unfolded today using #BYUCougsRecap across social media platforms everywhere now!