BIG 12 CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 11, 2021

Chris Beard

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Postgame Press Conference

Texas 67, Texas Tech 66

Q. Coach, certainly not the result you wanted. What were the parting words you told your guys knowing that at least this part of the season is over but you have a new season with the NCAA Tournament coming up?

CHRIS BEARD: There's no parting words. Our season is not over.

Q. With that in mind, what were some of the things you told the guys that they can learn from this, because certainly you came out on fire in that second half, it's just that second half close seemed to be the trouble point there.

CHRIS BEARD: Yeah, really thought the tougher team was going to win tonight, and I thought Texas was the tougher team in the parts of the game that mattered most. I think Texas Tech was the tougher team during spurts of the game, but when it gets down to the last four or five minutes, classic March, Texas Tech-Texas game. We've been in three battles with these guys. We won two. They won one, this year, and this one stings because it's in the postseason.

Another thing is just undeniable and that's free-throw shooting. You're not going to make every free throw, but if you want to have success in March Madness, you've got to make a certain percentage, and then your best players have to step up there and make free throws.

Tonight we made two more free throws, we win the game. 60 percent isn't good enough, so that's something we'll have to just keep working on. I believe in our process of what we do. The players have to step up there and make free throws when they count.

Other areas of the game, we've just got to coach a little bit better in different areas and we've got to have players step up, too. This deal is not very complicated. In March your best players have to play well, and if your best players don't play well, you won't win, period.

Tonight you guys don't need me to tell you that. Look at the stat sheet. We had some of our best players not play their best game.

Q. In terms of the last four minutes, what did you feel was maybe the cause or maybe the reason y'all weren't able to get a bucket to, like you said, either expand the scoring gap or just kind of put yourselves in a better position to win tonight?

CHRIS BEARD: From where I was sitting, it looks like we missed a bunch of lay-ups, just shots right around the basket. That's basketball. You know, you're going to have some misfortune, but then you've got to go make your breaks on the other end. You've got to make a break by getting an offensive rebound put-back. Somebody has just got to step up and will the ball in the basket.

I obviously have not watched the film yet, but I'm pretty sure that in the last four minutes of the game we got about four or five point-blank looks around the basket and we just couldn't get it to go in.

Q. Heading into the NCAA Tournament, how important is it to have team momentum?

CHRIS BEARD: I don't know, a couple years ago we lost to West Virginia in this tournament and we went on to play on Monday night, so I don't know. I understand the question, but -- this is about survive and advance. This is about playing your best on the biggest stage of college basketball.

I don't know if momentum plays into this. You've got to go win possessions. We had a stretch in the second half where we couldn't get a stop. I think Texas scored six or seven straight times on us. We burned a time-out, we changed defenses, we're subbing players in and out. You can't let the other team score seven straight times on you in March Madness. You've got to make lay-ups, you've got to make free throws.

And then at the end of the game, I haven't seen the play, but it's one of the best refs in college basketball, and he says that Kyler came down and slapped his hand. So if that's true, that's lack of discipline on our part. If that's not true, that's a tough break for us.

Q. In terms of coming out of the locker room in the second half, what did you like about what your guys were able to do in that first five- to eight-minute stretch to kind of extend the lead out a little bit?

CHRIS BEARD: Yeah, we knew it was a long game today. Every time we play Texas it's a game of runs. Obviously the game in Austin they had control of it. We came back and won.

The game in Lubbock both teams were right there. We separated a little bit at the end.

Tonight we've got the lead under four minutes and can't finish the game. Give Texas a lot of credit. I say the same things every time we play an opponent that I respect. Congratulate them on a hard-fought win. We played them three times this year and they won this one. It certainly stings. I wish those guys luck not only tomorrow in the Big 12 tournament, but also in the national tournament in Indianapolis. We'll be pulling for all the Big 12 schools.

Q. What did you like about what Clarence was able to give you off the bench, especially in terms of some early minutes?

CHRIS BEARD: Clarence has gotten an opportunity, especially with J.B. being out right now. Clarence is an aggressive player. We can't miss two front ends of one-and-ones. He's got to do a better job there, but his heart was certainly in the right place.

He's a competitive kid. He made a really good play there at the four-minute time-out, kind of faking the steal, I think, and it caused the violation by Texas. I think Clarence deserved some credit for that from where I was sitting. Clarence played hard tonight, but like all of our players, we got to play better. You've got to have individual players play well at this time of year.

Q. Logistically do you know if you're coming back to Lubbock or are you going straight to Indianapolis?

CHRIS BEARD: Yeah, we're coming back to Lubbock tonight.