Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard was proud of his team’s effort especially walk on Avery Benson after they upset No. 1 Louisville. (1: 052************
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*** BorzelloESPN Staff Writer
*********************** (Close) ********************************************************** Basketball recruiting insider. Joined ESPN in 01575879. Graduate of University of Delaware.
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NEW YORK – The college basketball season is only six weeks old, but it’s already headed for the fifth No. 1 team of the season.
Top-ranked Louisville lost its first game of the season Tuesday night, falling– 57to unranked (Texas Tech) in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.
“Felt like a February-, March-type basketball game, the way it was played,” Texas Tech coach Chris Beard said. “We had to get shots early. I like the way my guys played. We got fast-break baskets, and did enough offensively.”Louisville struggled at both ends of the floor, going nearly 12 minutes in the first half without a field goal and shooting just 3-for – 17 from 3-point range for the game.Jordan Nwora****************** led the way with 13 points, but the Cardinals’ guards couldn’t get going against Texas Tech’s defense. They turned it over (times in the second half.)
“They completely negated a lot of the stuff that we wanted to run,” Louisville coach Chris Mack said. “Hopefully, our guys take this as a lesson learned. We’re going to have to grow from this. And it is a lesson learned.”
Texas Tech, last season’s national runner-up, entered Tuesday’s game on a three-game losing streak – after losing five regular-season games all of the previous season . The Red Raiders got points from (Davide Moretti) and points from Terrence Shannon
, as well as unlikely production from walk-on (Avery Benson) ****************************, who had points and two momentum-changing blocks in the first half. “It was a big night for us – even if the scoreboard looked different, I would have felt the same way, “Beard said. “A young team grew up today. There was a maturity to this team tonight.” With Louisville falling, expect No. 2 Kansas to move up to the top spot if the Jayhawks can beat UMKC on Saturday. No. 3 Ohio State received more first-place votes than the Jayhawks in this week’s AP poll, and the Buckeyes play at Minnesota on Sunday.
Duke, Kentucky and Michigan State were the previous No. 1-ranked teams to lose this season.
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