Postgame Notes

March 7, 2002

Recap?|? Box Score?|? Quotes

Texas Tech 80, Texas A&M 71

Thursday, March 7, 2002 / Kemper Arena / Kansas City, Mo.

Texas A&M ended the 2001-02 season with 10 straight losses. The Aggies are 0-6 in Big 12 Conference Tournament play and are 0-8 at Kemper Arena all-time. A&M is 1-9 in Kansas City all-time. A&M is 6-7 when it scores at least 70 points.

Texas Tech is now 3-7 when trailing at halftime. TTU is 2-4 in Big 12 Conference tournament opening round games and 2-5 overall. Today's win marks the Red Raiders' first tournament win since 1997 when they beat K-State, 73-57. Texas Tech is 2-0 on neutral floors this year.

Texas Tech's 69.2 percentage (18-of-26) vs. Texas A&M was the second-highest second-half percentage of the season. The Red Raiders shot 70.8 percent (17-of-24) in the second half vs. Missouri Feb. 20, 2002.

The Aggies shot 41.2 percent (7-of-17) from three-point range today. TAMU has made 82 of its last 222 attempts from behind the arc over its last 13 games.

Texas Tech is the sixth different opponent Texas A&M has faced in six Big 12 Tournament appearances. Today's 32-30 halftime lead is the Aggies' first ever in Big 12 Tournament play. Texas A&M's halftime lead marked the fourth time this season the Aggies had led at a half and the second time in the last 26 games. It's TAMU's first halftime lead this season since Feb. 6 when TAMU took a 30-25 lead into the half vs. Texas and it's first halftime lead away from Reed Arena. Texas A&M entered today's game 2-1 when leading at the half.

TAMU's Jesse King has averaged 6.0 rebounds over his last five appearances and has pulled down eight or more in three of his last five games.

The Aggies' Andy Slocum tallied his seventh double-figure scoring game of the year with 10 points.

TAMU's Bernard King scored 24 points in the second half vs. Texas Tech. King owns the Big 12 record for second-half points with 26 vs. Lamar Nov. 24, 2001. With his 26 points today, King became the third Aggie to score at least 500 points in a season twice.

Texas Tech's Andy Ellis' five blocks ties his career high. He also had five at Texas (2/26/02). It marks the sixth time in tournament history that a Big 12 player has recorded five or more blocked shots. Ellis played 40 minutes for the sixth time this season. The last time he played 40 minutes was the season finale at Baylor (3/2/02).

TTU's Andy Ellis was 10-of-13 (.769) from the field vs. Texas A&M. His .769 field goal percentage was the fifth-best effort in Big 12 Tournament history.

TTU's Nick Valdez's 11 points was his highest output since Jan. 6 when he had 14 points vs. Kansas State and his most minutes played since he recorded a season-high 37 minutes vs. Texas Christian Dec. 1.

Kasib Powell and Andy Ellis are the first teammates to both log 40 minutes in the same Big 12 Tournament (regulation) game.

Andy Ellis' 27 points today was more than he scored in the two previous games vs. Texas A&M combined. Andre Emmett's point total (24) betters his previous per game average vs. A&M (15.0).

Texas Tech University Athletics