The loss to UCF may have been the wakeup call the Texas Tech basketball team needed, and wins over Utah and BYU were the result of getting tougher.

Hawkins had eight 3s through his first 10 games at Tech, but has started a breakout from beyond the arc, which started against UCF on New Year’s Eve. He also knocked down four against Utah and it continued against the Cougars. Hawkins drilled six shots from deep, accounting for most of Tech’s shots from three, en route to his 22-point performance.

Utah Utes guard Mason Madsen (45) and Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Kevin Overton (1) compete for possession of a loose ball during an NCAA men’s basketball game held at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025.