Injuries happen in sport. It’s a given no matter what the sport, injuries will happen. From the looks of it, Tariq Owens will give it a go thanks to the best Athletic Training staff in the country. That injury looked scary, really scary. To be quite honest, I thought we had lost our best rim protector, but that wasn’t what made this injury so painful to this team. The energy Owens had brought to the floor was the reason for my worry. Owens not only brought great energy to the floor on Saturday, but he set the tone. The first picture on this article represents a great moment in Texas Tech sports. Even though he didn’t play much and wasn’t a factor at all after he hurt his ankle, Owens made a statement. He showed everyone in this country and all around the world for that matter that he wasn’t down for the count, even after a horrific looking injury. The Red Raiders' crowd goes wild as Tariq Owens returns from the locker room after an injury! @TexasTechMBB | #FinalFour pic.twitter.com/hRtJBSdovw — NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) April 7, 2019 The video above shows that moment, he came out and the crowd acted as if someone had been raised from the dead. It was one of those moments that make some grown men cry, and something that made me proud to be a Red Raider. He ran out looking determined, and when he came onto the court, the team received a huge lift of moral. If that man comes back, this man might shed a tear. What a baller, what effort given. https://t.co/hyrCxAHloM — Jacob Harris (@jacobharris_55) April 7, 2019 His coming back from injury isn’t the point of this article believe it or not, it’s the tone he set for the team early in the game and how he continued that tone after he was injured. He drained the first three pointer of the game for the team and was all over the defensive side of the ball, getting three blocks in 23 minutes. He got bumped and bruised the entire game and it his energy and focus really motivated the rest of the team. TARIQ OWENS SAYS NO! pic.twitter.com/zsb0PB3a6j — CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 7, 2019 The energy and effort given by Owens is something that a ton of players would not do. Especially with his injury, Owens showed more care about his team and their outcome than his own ankle. This is something that most players, especially one and done guys, would not have done. This is the toughness that has defined this team this season. It is the toughness that has led them here and it is the toughness that could lead them to a National Championship.<doc-sep>Texas Tech men's basketball coach Chris Beard told ESPN's Allison Williams that he expects starting forward Tariq Owens to play in Monday's national championship game but will have a better idea on Monday after treatment and rest. Owens sprained his ankle after falling awkwardly in the second half of Saturday night's win over Michigan State. He was assisted to the locker room but came sprinting out of the tunnel later in the game. He re-entered the game with 6:52 remaining but went back to the bench at the 5:38 mark. Owens wasn't made available to the media on Sunday afternoon but was seen wearing a walking boot on his right foot at U.S. Bank Stadium. He didn't practice on Sunday. Beard told Williams that if it was a normal Saturday-to-Monday turnaround, Owens probably would not play. Owens, a 6-foot-10 senior, was a key factor during his 23 minutes against Michigan State. He had seven points and four rebounds and blocked three shots. On the season, Owens averaged 8.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. Texas Tech faces Virginia at 9:20 p.m. ET on Monday night.<doc-sep>
Texas Tech big man Tariq Owens left Saturday’s Final Four game against Michigan State with what appeared to be a serious leg injury. But less than 10 minutes of basketball time after limping to the locker room, Owens ran back out to Texas Tech’s bench as if nothing happened. After some sideline stretching, remarkably, he returned to the game. Owens goes down with ugly injury Owens, one of the best shot-blockers in college basketball, leapt to try to erase a Spartans shot with under 15 minutes remaining in the second half. When he landed, his leg buckled. Texas Tech's Tariq Owens is attended to by a trainer after a nasty-looking injury against Michigan State in the Final Four. (AP) Below is video of the play. The replay from the baseline shows Owens’ knee hyperextending before he falls to the court and writhes in pain. Pray for Tariq Owens 🙏🏾 he BADLY injured his ankle 😔 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/c51MP648E3 — VERSACEBOYENT (@VersaceBoyEnt2) April 7, 2019 Owens appeared to do damage to both his knee and ankle. After spending a bit of time on the floor, Owens was helped to his feet. He limped off, toward the Texas Tech bench, and then back to the locker room. But a bit before the under-eight media timeout, Owens ran – without a limp – back to the Red Raiders huddle as fans cheered him on. A few seconds past the 7-minute mark, he checked back in with Texas Tech holding a tenuous lead. CBS’ Tracy Wolfson reported that Owens had not gone to the X-ray room. Instead, back in the locker room, his ankle was heavily re-taped as Tech trainers scrambled to find a larger shoe to accommodate the new tape job. After a few minutes back in the game, though, Owens then returned to the bench. He stayed there over the final four minutes as Tech held on for a 61-51 win. More from Yahoo Sports: