First Round Recap – Albuquerque Region
The guard tandem of Ronald Ross and Jarrius Jackson combined to score 45 points and lead Bob Knight’s Red Raiders over UCLA on Thursday night.
In the first half, the Red Raiders jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead and never fell behind the rest of the way, although the Bruins would not go away without a fight. UCLA hung around for most of the contest, but a decisive 14-5 run that ended with 1:31 remaining gave the Red Raiders enough breathing room to take home a victory. In that pivotal run, Jackson scored eight points and Ross added four of his own.
Texas Tech held off the UCLA charge in large part by not allowing the Bruins any semblance of a run in the final 20 minutes. Over that span, UCLA could not score more than four consecutive points without a Texas Tech answer, ensuring the Red Raiders of a spot in the second round.
Texas Tech shot over 57 percent from the floor, including 11-of-21 shooting by Ross, who led all scorers with 28 points. Jackson added 17 points and Devonne Giles contributed 16 before fouling out with 2:11 left. Dijon Thompson was one of two Bruin players in double figures with 22 points.
