Box score No. 3 seed Texas Tech (26-6, 14-4 Big 12) shook off a slow start to advance in the NCAA tournament. The Red Raiders defeated the No. 14 seed Northern Kentucky 72-57 in their opening round of the tournament on Friday at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. The Norse were down just four points at the half, but Tech came out swinging in the second to create separation and earn the Red Raiders their 27th victory of the season. Tech contested by Northern Kentucky early on The Norse made it hard for Tech to create separation early in the game. Northern Kentucky freshman guard/freshman Adrian Nelson hit a shot to knot the game up at 8-8 with 14:04 left in the first half. Northern Kentucky even too a 13-12 advantage at the 11:18 mark, but Tech didn't fold. Red Raider sophomore guard Jarrett Culver -- the Big 12 Player of the Year -- went on a solo five-point run to reclaim the lead for his team with 9:36 left in the opening half. He finished the first half with 12 points en route to a 29 point, 8 rebound and 7 assist night. Tech went on to take a 30-26 lead over Northern Kentucky heading into halftime, but showed uncharacteristic traits throughout the first half. The Red Raiders finished 1 for 8 from the free-throw line and surrendered turnovers to allow the Norse to keep the game interesting. RELATED: From intriguing freshman to Texas Tech stardom -- How Jarrett Culver's basketball DNA was key in his evolution into an NBA draft prospect Tech falls into form in second half This is Tech's 17th NCAA tournament appearance -- the Red Raiders' second consecutive time for the fourth time in program history. The Big 12 co-champions made the Elite Eight a season ago and are looking to get one step closer to that mark after a win Friday. The Red Raiders didn't look like the team that earned a share of the Big 12 title for the first time in program history. That changed it the second half. With 14:13 left in the game, Culver sank a 3-pointer to give the Raiders a 47-34 lead -- one of many offensive blows taken by Tech in the second half. Assisted by Culver, Mooney took a jump shot from 8-feet out for two points to give his team a 53-38 advantage and force a Northern Kentucky timeout. Can Culver be stopped? Culver has proven himself dangerous time and time again. Tech has plenty of playmakers on its roster, but the sophomore guard has proven to be invaluable. Culver entered the game with 1,008 career points and recorded a career high 31 in the Red Raiders regular-season finale against Iowa State -- a 80-73 conference win. Additionally, the former Lubbock Coronado standout has four double-doubles heading into the tournament. He built on his numbers, and legacy, Friday afternoon. This comes after he showed glimpses of what he was capable of his freshman season with Tech. He averaged 7.5 points and five rebounds a game in the Red Raiders' run to the Elite Eight a season ago. Texas Tech's Jarrett Culver had 29 Pts, 8 Reb and 7 Ast in the Red Raiders win over Northern Kentucky. The 25-5-5 game was the first in Culver's career and the first in program history in the NCAA Tournament. pic.twitter.com/Lk8RmnnqZy — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 22, 2019 Tech's defense impresses Northern Kentucky entered the game averaging 79.1 points, while giving up 68.7 and the Red Raiders were able to hold the Norse to 57 points. Defense was key in getting those numbers. It took a half to get it together, but Tech forced 15 turnovers -- seven steals and eight blocks. Tech's next opponent is set in second round of the tournament The Red Raiders will face No. 6 seed Buffalo at 5:10 p.m. on Sunday at the BOK Center at Tulsa, OK. The Bulls defeated No. 11 seed Arizona St. 91-74 in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday.<doc-sep>​Cover Photo: Getty Images Texas Tech vs Northern Kentucky Game Info West Region No. 14 Northern Kentucky Norse (26-8) vs. No. 3 Texas Tech Red Raiders (26-6) Date: Friday, March 22, 2019 Time: 1:30 p.m. EST Venue: Bank of Oklahoma Center — Tulsa, OK Printable 2019 NCAA Tournament bracket! pic.twitter.com/86yxie1tfv — The Duel (@TheDuelSports) March 18, 2019 Texas Tech vs Northern Kentucky Betting Info All betting odds, lines and props available on FanDuel Sportsbook. Moneyline: NKY: (+740) | TTU: (-1150) Spread: NKY: +13.5 (-110) | TTU: -13.5 (-110) Total: 137 – Over: (-110) | Under: (-110) Public (Spread) Betting Percentages: NKY: 44% | TTU: 56% Texas Tech vs Northern Kentucky Betting Trends & Stats - Northern Kentucky is 12-20 against the spread (ATS) this season. - Northern Kentucky is 1-3 ATS as an underdog this season. - Texas Tech is 15-16-1 ATS this season. - Texas Tech is 13-13-1 ATS as a favorite this season.​ Texas Tech vs Northern Kentucky Best Prop Bet All N. Kentucky-Texas Tech betting odds, lines and props available on FanDuel Sportsbook. - Away Team (Northern Kentucky) Total Points: Under 61.5 (-110) – The Texas Tech Red Raiders have one of the best defenses in the country, holding opponents to just 59.3 points per game (PPG), which is fourth-best mark in the NCAA. Texas Tech is also excellent at contesting shots, as opponents shoot just 36.8 percent against the Red Raiders – the second-lowest percentage in the NCAA. The Northern Kentucky Norse haven't faced this dominant of a defense this season either, which should also work in the Red Raiders' favor. Build your free bracket today, unlike other brackets, our $250,000 payout is guaranteed! It’s tournament time, and this year, you can get a piece of the action for FREE. Fill out your free bracket today, then come back to bet all throughout the tournament. https://www.fanduel.com/march-madness David Hayes is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, David Hayes also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username DavidWHayes. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.<doc-sep>
One of the top teams in the Big 12, Texas Tech enters the tournament as the No. 3 seed seeking to avenge a conference tournament that ended all too quickly. Their opponent in the West will be No. 14 seeded Northern Kentucky. Preview: The 2018-19 season saw Texas Tech emerged as one of the stingiest defenses in college basketball. Not only did the Red Raiders win their first-ever share of the Big 12 regular season title, head coach Chris Beard became the first-ever Texas Tech coach to lead the team to back-to-back seasons of 26 wins or more. Only a handful of teams could drop even 70 points on the team as they went 26-5 in the regular season. Not since the Bob Knight days have the expectations been so high, and coming off an Elite Eight appearance last year, the Red Raiders are eager for an even deeper run Northern Kentucky is in the field after winning the Horizon League, topping Wright State in the title game. It is the second NCAA Tournament berth for the Norse, who also made it in 2017. Opponents beware: this team can score (79.1 ppg, 41st in the country) and they can shoot it a little too from three-point range. Four Norse starters score in double-figures. Living on Tulsa Time. 😉 See you this weekend, Red Raider fans!#4To1 🔴#WreckEm⚫️ pic.twitter.com/9GpOUYPQnO — Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) March 17, 2019 Date: Friday, March 22 Time: 1:30 p.m. EST TV Channel: TNT Location: BOK Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma Announcers: Brad Nessler, Steve Lavin, Jim Jackson, Evan Washburn Prediction: Texas Tech were practically a freight train for most of the season, running through a good portion of the Big 12 and winning 11 of their last 12 regular season games. The Norse are certainly capable of putting up points and locking down teams, but they’ve hardly faced any opponents of the Red Raiders’ caliber this season. Texas Tech wins big.