Red Raider Recap: Tech 91, Idaho State 58

Friday, November 25

United Supermarkets Arena

2:00 PM

Texas Tech Athletics

5-1

Idaho State

0-6

Idaho State

Texas Tech

Red Raider Recap: Tech 91, Idaho State 58

November 25, 2016 | Men's Basketball

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The Red Raiders had five players secure double figures for the third time this season.

LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech men's basketball team continued to use its winning formula of a balanced scoring attack and stingy defense to claim a 91-58 victory over Idaho State Friday at the United Supermarkets Arena.

The 33-point victory for the Red Raiders (5-1) was the largest of the season, and Texas Tech outscored its opponent by double figures for the six straight game during the second half.

The Red Raiders were playing their fourth game in seven days. The win enabled Texas Tech to move its nonconference home winning streak to 23 straight games dating back to the 2013-14 season.

"Give Idaho State credit in the first half. I don't think we played as well as we wanted to, but I think a lot of that was because Idaho State played great," Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard said. "They've got a veteran coach who does a great job. Both teams are fighting a little bit of adversity. Three games in four days with a tough travel day yesterday, but I thought Idaho State played great in the first half. I'm really appreciative of the fans we had here tonight. I know it was a tough day with a lot going on. We had a nice attendance in the lower bowl so we're very appreciative of that."

Keenan Evans led the charge with 14 of his 16 points in the second 20 minutes and sank 7-of-11 from the floor. The junior point guard also distributed a career-best seven assists against one turnover over his 32 minutes of action.

Zach Smith notched his third double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds. He collected five of his 11 rebounds on the offensive end.

Niem Stevenson amassed a season's best 12 points whereas Justin Gray tacked on 11 points and two blocks. The Gray-Stevenson combo turned in a flawless 9-for-9 shooting effort.

Matthew Temple garnered a career-high tying 11 points to go along with three rebounds and two assists, while Thomas Brandsma came away with eight points during the second half. The duo combined to make seven of its field goal attempts.

Anthony Livingston added nine points for the Red Raiders. Devon Thomas, making his second straight game, chipped in five points coupled with three rebounds and three assists. Shadell Millinghaus picked up six points and a team season-high five steals.

The Red Raiders knocked down over 60 percent of their shots for the second time this season. Texas Tech was 35-of-57 from the field and connected on 9-of-18 on three-pointers. The Red Raiders came away with a 12-of-18 clip at the free throw line.

Idaho State (0-6) relied heavily on the three-ball with 11 of its 19 field goals coming from beyond the arc. The Bengals split their 18 free throw attempts. Gary Chivichyan scored 12 points to lead ISU.

Texas Tech led wire-to-wire and opened up a 10-point lead in the game's opening three minutes. Smith provided half of the points with a putback tip-in, a high-flying dunk from Thomas and a midrange jumper from the left elbow to build a 12-2 advantage at the 16:46 mark.

The Red Raiders stretched it to a 29-13 spread with 11:16 remaining as Stevenson got going. He used the left-hand on a driving layup, swished a deep two-pointer off the crossover dribble and dialed up a three-ball over a two-minute span.

Texas Tech took a 40-29 advantage into the locker room. The Red Raiders forced Idaho State into 10 first half turnovers en route to 14 of the game's 17 points off turnovers.

Texas Tech used its spurtability and busted the contest open with 31 of the first 45 points over the opening 12 minutes of the second half.

Smith started the onslaught with a traditional three-point play on Texas Tech's opening possession. Then, Evans took over with 12 points and three assists to 71-43 with 8:39 to go. He showed his versatility with a two midrange jumpers, two treys and a driving layup.

Brandsma put the finishing touches on the win with eight points and an assist over the closing five minutes for the final margin of 91-58. The Red Raiders have the 90-point plateau three times in their opening six games.

"It means a lot because all coaches, ourselves included, we have things we believe in," Beard said. "We have a process. We have a culture, and you're always looking for results. You're always trying to show your players that if you put in the time, this is what can happen. Thomas is a walking demonstration of what our program is about. If you put time in at the gym, your game gets better. If you remain unselfish, good things happen. He's just a tough kid. I think what kind of gets lost in the Thomas Brandsma story is he's a pretty good player too. Tonight, to score eight points in 11 minutes, he's putting a little pressure on me to play him more."

Texas Tech wraps up the November portion of its schedule Wednesday versus Incarnate Word. Tipoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by FOX College Sports along with the FOX Sports Go app.

Visit www.TexasTech.com for the latest news and information on the men's basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/TexasTechMBB and @TexasTechMBB on Twitter.