The No. 3 seed in the West Region Texas Tech Red Raiders(26-8) will face No. 11 seed Drake Bulldogs(31-3) in the 2nd Round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. This game will take place in Wichita, Kansas Saturday evening.
Texas Tech defeated UNC Willington in the 1st Round. Drake upset No. 6 seed Missouri for their eighth consecutive win. The Bulldogs are one of the hottest teams in the NCAA. They will look to keep it going Saturday against the Red Raiders. Who wins to punch their ticket to the Sweet Sixteen?
Texas Tech Offense Powers Team To Victory
Even though the Red Raiders struggled shooting the ball they still put up 82 points. That is a testament to the team’s depth on offense which will be instrumental if they go on a deep tournament run. They shot 39.1% from the field and 28.3% from three-point range.
Guard Kerwin Walton scored a career-high 27 points in the win against UNC Wilmington. He has not been an offensive threat for the Red Raiders this season. His contributions on that end of the floor were a bonus. Forward JT Toppin, the team’s best player, finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds. He has been relatively quiet over the last two games. Toppin will need to regain his form for the team to advance.
Drake Pulls Off a Big Upset
The Bulldogs upset Missouri Thursday to advance to the next round. Drake’s offense helped them clinch the upset. They shot 54.3% from the field and 50% from three-point range. The team had a miserable day at the free-throw line going 12-of-24. That is something the Bulldogs must fare better at against Texas Tech.
Drake’s best player, Guard Bennett Stirtz, played well. He scored 22 points and played all 40 minutes. He will need to maintain his level of play for the Bulldogs to secure the upset. The Bulldogs also stifled Missouri’s offense. They held the Tigers to 33.3% shooting from the field and 4-of-16 shooting from downtown.
Final Thoughts
Texas Tech is a favorite in a game that is not expected to be as high-scoring as their opening games. Drake’s defense had a tremendous game The Red Raiders have been solid on defense this year. Texas Tech should win this game and advance to the Sweet Sixteen. They have a deeper roster that will propel them to victory.
