LUBBOCK, Texas -- Victories over No. 14 Iowa State and No. 21 Baylor in a week's span have put the Texas Tech basketball team into the conversation for a berth in the NCAA tournament.

Wednesday night might have just solidified it in ink.

For the first time in school history, the Red Raiders defeated a ranked opponent in three straight games. Sophomore guard Keenan Evans hit three free throws in the final 30 seconds, and No. 3 Oklahoma missed a point-blank shot under the basket as the Red Raiders defeated the Sooners 65-63 Wednesday night at United Spirit Arena.

"It means a lot, anytime you can get a win against a ranked team," Texas Tech head coach Tubby Smith aid. "We've played a very competitive schedule, one of the top five toughest schedules in the country. We've got to continue to play to our potential. It's all about getting the wins. You can't wish it, you can't hope on selection Sunday. You've got to make it happen and the only way you can make it happen is to win the day."

The Red Raiders (16-9, 6-7 in Big 12) certainly did that on Wednesday. Texas Tech got 25 points from its bench, none bigger than the team-high 17 from forward Aaron Ross, while Evans scored 12 of his 14 in the second half as the Red Raiders followed wins over No. 14 Iowa State on Nov. 10 and No. 21 Baylor on Saturday with a gritty performance against the Sooners.

Texas Tech also did a good job defensively on guard Buddy Hield. The defending Big 12 Player of the Year and candidate for National Player of the Year this season, Hield scored the Sooners' first 10 points of the game then scored just six more the rest of the way, finishing almost 10 points below his season average.

Guards Justin Gray and Toddrick Gotcher took turns most of the night guarding Hield with the intent of not letting him get hot from the outside.

"Just contest everything he does," Gotcher said. "Contest his drives, contest his shot. (Contest) everything, really. He's a great player and probably player of the year, so just contest his looks and do everything that you can."

Texas Tech held off any and all charges made by the Sooners (20-5, 8-5 in Big 12), including when OU led 61-57 with 2:45 left after guard Jordan Woodard, who led all scorers with 25 points, hit two free throws to cap a 6-0 run.

Texas Tech, however, closed the game on an 8-2 run and avoided overtime when a forward Ryan Spangler missed a point-blank layup with three seconds left.

"Tough game all night long and there wasn't much margin either way throughout the night," said Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger, who team suffered has lost three of its last four games and two straight for the first time this season. "Tech really fought hard, did a good job and made plays they needed to down the stretch. We gave up way too many extra possessions there in the last few possessions. We've got to bounce back and figure out how to play better ourselves."

Evans scored five of his 14 points in the final two minutes to put Tech ahead, but his rebound off a miss with 30.7 seconds left was just as crucial as it forced the Sooners to put him at the free throw line.

Woodard hit a layup with 20.7 left to cut it to a one-point deficit, and Evans hit one of two free throws on the Red Raiders' next possession to make it a 65-63 lead.

After a timeout, Tech blanketed Hield to prevent him from taking the shot, forcing it into the hands of Spangler, who missed. Gotcher grabbed the rebound as the black-clad Texas Tech fans stormed the court for the second straight game.

"We wanted to make the drive," Evans said. "We didn't want to let (Hield) get loose and hit a three to win the game. We wanted to make them drive and (take a contested shot) without fouling."

Despite the Sooners not shooting particularly well to start the game, Hield was Oklahoma's catalyst early, scoring the team's first 10 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, despite being blanketed by Texas Tech sophomore guard Justin Gray.

Texas Tech also struggled, starting the game with a 31/2 minute scoreless streak despite some good looks at the basket. But the Red Raiders spent the opening minutes of the first half trading twos for threes and falling behind early.

But a long 3-pointer from the top of the key by guard C.J. Williamson ignited an 8-0 run in less than a minute that pulled the Red Raiders even at 17-all. Neither team led by more than five points the rest of the way.

And with the game tightening up, it would have been perfectly safe to assume the more experienced Sooners would find a way to avoid the upset. But having suffered these kinds of devastating losses to Big 12 teams early in the season, the Red Raiders are beginning to turn things around and write a new script.

It could land them in the NCAA tournament after all.

"Three top 25 teams in a row, that's big for us and for Texas Tech as a whole," Gotcher said. "We're getting noticed now."

NOTES: Oklahoma senior guard Buddy Hield entered the game with more 30-point games this season (eight) than the rest of the Big 12 Conference combined. ... The Sooners entered Wednesday leading the nation in 3-point field goal percentage at 44.3 percent. They are on a pace to eclipse the school record of 41.4 percent ... Texas Tech had never beaten a ranked opponent three times in a season in school history, much less in three straight games.