Men’s Basketball Routs Missouri Western State in Exhibition Game, 92-40

Friday, November 4

United Supermarkets Arena

7:30 PM

Texas Tech Athletics

Missouri Western State

Men’s Basketball Routs Missouri Western State in Exhibition Game, 92-40

November 05, 2016 | Men's Basketball

The Red Raiders had five players reach double figures during their 52-point exhibition win.

LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech men's basketball team turned in a balanced scoring effort on the offensive side and played stingy defense en route to a 92-40 exhibition game victory over Missouri Western State on Friday at the United Supermarkets Arena.

The Red Raiders had three bench players and two starters secure double figures. Overall, Texas Tech had 11 of its 12 players score a point, 11 of its 12 players grab a record and eight of its 12 players record an assist during tonight's lone exhibition contest.

"Coaches are never satisfied," Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard said. "So, I didn't get what I wanted, but I saw a lot of good things. Tonight, we played a good balance on offense. We had five guys in double figures … We don't have any interest in having the leading scorer in the conference or anything like that. We want to use our depth, and we want to have balance. We shot a good percentage from the floor tonight. We had a low turnover game with six turnovers. There were a lot of positives on offense. What makes basketball the greatest game ever invented is you strive for perfection, but you never can get it. We need to make more free throws. We need to shoot better from the three-point line. So, there are always some things that we could do, but I believe we executed well."

Anthony Livingston dialed up a team-leading 17 points on 7-of-10 from the floor fueled by a trio of three-pointers during his 18 minutes of action.

Justin Gray and Norense Odiase sparked the Red Raiders off the bench with 12 points apiece on a combined 8-of-14 shooting effort. Gray also pulled down a team-high eight rebounds and was 5-of-6 at the free throw line, whereas Odiase added six rebounds and a pair of assists.

Shadell Millinghaus filled the box score with 11 points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists. Aaron Ross came away with 10 points and four rebounds to give the Red Raiders five players in double figures.

At the point guard position, Keenan Evans notched nine points and handed out four assists against zero turnovers. Zach Smith tallied six points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two assists. Niem Stevenson provided six points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Overall, Texas Tech garnered a 35-for-71 shooting effort but knocked down six of its 28 three-point attempts. The Red Raiders were 16-of-27 at the free throw line.

Tech limited Missouri Western State to 12-of-50 from the field. The Griffons also struggled from the perimeter and were a frigid 2-for-22 from three-point territory. Missouri Western State connected on 14-for-17 at the foul line.

The Red Raiders started strong on both sides of the floor and scored the game's opening 10 points in the first five minutes. Ross began the scoring with a turnaround jumper, and Livingston knocked down a three-pointer during the opening 80 seconds.

Odiase contributed a traditional three-point play through traffic, while Evans sank a runner off the dribble to make it 10-0 at the 15:28 mark.

Ahead 27-16 with 8:12 remaining, Texas Tech ripped off 22 of the next 24 points over the next seven points to put the game out of reach. Nine players scored during the spurt which was capped by a Livingston triple to push the margin to 49-18 with 1:15 left.

Texas Tech would carry a 51-22 advantage into the locker room. The Red Raiders registered 14 of their 22 second-chance points in the first half.

Texas Tech continued to apply defensive pressure and limited the Griffons to only four baskets during the second half. Odiase and Gray combined for 16 of their 24 points and 10 of their 14 rebounds in the second 20 minutes.

Tech continued to build their lead and reached its largest margin at 52 points in the closing minute. Gray capped the scoring with a three-ball from the top of the key.

"I had a lot of special moments today just thinking about," Beard said. "The first time playing in front of our fans and just really more than anything I was excited to get on the floor with these players. These are special guys. When we started this journey months ago from a press conference to re-recruiting guys, to recruiting guys, to a grueling summer of work, to an offseason, from a team retreat, community service, we've had some adversity like every team. We've had some good times … I'm really looking forward to the journey ahead with these guys. I have a lot of confidence in these players. I have a lot of confidence in our coaching staff, and I'm very optimistic what we can do here year one as we continue to build the program."

The Red Raiders begin their regular season slate next Friday against Houston Baptist at the United Supermarkets Arena. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by FOX College Sports in addition to 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.