Playing without Taz Sherman, West Virginia was unable to overcome the No. 14 Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday, falling 60-53.

With the loss, WVU's losing streak sits at seven games.

Despite Sherman's absence, the Mountaineers didn't perform as if they were missing their leading scorer. A 3-pointer from Jalen Bridges pushed WVU ahead by five entering the under-16 first-half timeout, and the Mountaineers continued to keep their foot on the gas.

Bridges picked up much of the slack left by Sherman's injury, tallying 16 first-half points. But gradually, Sherman's absence became much more noticeable.

With just under 10 minutes left in the half, the Red Raiders shaved the deficit and took their first lead of the game. The teams briefly traded blows back and forth, but it was ultimately West Virginia who entered halftime with a 32-26 lead.

Texas Tech's second-half resurgence quickly spelled doom for the Mountaineers. The Red Raiders, propelled by leading-scorer Bryson Williams, threw themselves back into the conversation and wrestled the lead back.

Thanks to some lucky breaks, Texas Tech remained in control for the majority of the second half, requiring some late magic for the Mountaineers to come out on top.

West Virginia entered the final three minutes facing a three-point deficit, but struggled to contain Texas Tech's high-powered offense. The Red Raiders rattled off basket after basket while the Mountaineers struggled to find the net, leading to Texas Tech's 60-53 win.

Bridges led West Virginia in scoring, finishing with 16 points. Sean McNeil was the only other Mountaineers to place in double digits, ending with 15.

With 13, Gabe Osabuohien finished as WVU's leading rebounder. Payuly Paulicap finished with nine.

West Virginia (13-9) will stay at home, next hosting Iowa State on Tuesday night. The 7 p.m. tipoff will be broadcast on ESPN+.

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