RECAP: Tech tops LSU in Big 12-SEC Challenge

Saturday, January 28

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

1 p.m.

Texas Tech Athletics

11-10,0-8Big 12

LSU

12-9,1-7SEC

Texas Tech

LSU

RECAP: Tech tops LSU in Big 12-SEC Challenge

January 28, 2023 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Highlights Press Conference

By: Wes Bloomquist

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana – Kevin Obanor scored 22 points and Kerwin Walton made five 3-pointers to help lead Texas Tech to a 76-68 win over LSU on Saturday in the Big 12-SEC Challenge at the Maravich Center.

The Red Raiders (11-10) snapped an eight-game losing streak with the win and are now 7-3 all-time in the Big 12-SEC Challenge. LSU fell to 12-9 with the loss.

"This is significant for a number of reasons," Texas Tech coach Mark Adams said. "We needed to get a win. To get it on the road is an even bigger positive for us. I thought we played good basketball for the entire game. I thought we shared the ball and had individuals who stepped up. KO showed his leadership with over 20 points and played his heart out. Our bench played well and Kerwin had a big night for us. It's encouraging to see."

Obanor scored the first eight points of the game for Tech and finished the game shooting 8-for-15 with three 3-pointers. He now has 1,998 career points and 1,020 rebounds after having four more against the Tigers. Walton would match a career-high with five 3-pointers, finishing with a season-high 17 points in a game where he was 6-for-7 from the field and 5 of 6 on 3-pointers. De'Vion Harmon added 14 points and eight assists, while Daniel Batcho finished with eight points and seven rebounds and freshman Elijah Fisher had a career-high nine rebounds. Jaylon Tyson added seven rebounds and four points.

"It's great to get this win and get that losing taste out of our mouths," Obanor said. "We needed to start a foundation. It's a testimony to how tough the Big 12 is. We've been losing 1-2 possession games in the Big 12, and then we came here and got a win. We have to bring it every night. I'm really happy for our guys that we got this win."

Tech led 41-33 at halftime and finished the game on a 16-10 run after LSU had taken a 58-57 lead with 7:33 remaining. Walton would start that run, hitting a 3-pointer before a Jaylon Tyson dunk for a four-point lead. Obanor would score his final points of the game on a dunk with 1:52 remaining for a 71-64 lead as an exclamation point in the win. The Red Raiders won the game despite not having Pop Isaacs and Fardaws Aimaq available due to injury.

Walton is now 21-for-42 (50.0 percent) on 3-pointers this season and has made 102 in his career. He also had a game with five 3-pointers while at North Carolina as a freshman against Louisville where he scored a career-high 19 points.

Tech improved to 6-3 all-time against LSU, including a 4-1 record in Baton Rouge.

The Red Raiders finished the game 11-for-18 on 3-pointers, including Harmon going 2-for-2 to go along with Walton's five and Obanor making three. LSU was 9-for-26 from beyond the arc and shot 22-for-59 (37.3 percent). Tech finished with a 36-34 rebounding advantage in the game and a 26-24 scoring advantage in the paint. At the line, Tech was 15-for-21 while LSU was 15-for-19. Batcho was 4-for-4 to lead Tech.

Adam Miller led LSU with 20 points after going 5-for-10 on 3-pointers, while KJ Williams had 14 points and nine rebounds. Derek Fountain added 10 points and six rebounds and Trae Hannibal led the reserves with seven points.

Texas Tech took a 41-33 lead into halftime with Obanor leading the way with 13 points, Batcho having eight points, Harmon scoring seven and Walton hitting a pair of late 3-pinters to have six. The Red Raiders were 7-for-11 on 3-pointers in the half with Obanor going 3-for-4 from beyond the arc and Walton going 2-of-3. Obanor, Batcho and Tyson had three rebounds each for Tech which was out-rebounded by a 17-13 margin through 20 minutes. Batcho was 4-for-4 at the free-throw line for Tech which was 8-for-10 at the line overall. Miller was leading LSU with 12 points after going 4-for-6 on 3-pointers while Williams had eight points and six rebounds. LSU was 6-for-13 on 3-pointers going into the break and had a 12-10 scoring advantage in the paint. The Tigers were 3-of-6 at the line.
Tech returns home to host No. 12 Iowa State (15-5, 6-2 Big 12) at 8 p.m. on Monday at the United Supermarkets Arena. The Cyclones are coming off a 78-61 loss at Missouri on Saturday in their Big 12-SEC Challenge matchup. ISU won 84-50 over Tech on January 10 in the first meeting this season and are currently tied atop the Big 12 standings with Kansas State and Texas.

GAME TRACKER

Tech won the tip but did not score on its opening possession… It would take a 2-0 lead with Obanor scoring on the second possession
Obanor would hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give Tech an 8-7 lead… He had the first eight points of the game for Tech on 3-for-3 shooting going into the first media timeout of the game
Batcho would hit a pair of free throws and then had a putback-dunk for a 12-10 lead before a Williams 3-poiter pushed the lead to 15-10 seven minutes into the game
LSU took a timeout with Tech on a 9-0 run after another Batcho basket that gave him six points and Tech a 17-10 lead… LSU slowed the run with a Hannibal layup before a quick response from Tech with a Harmon layup
Tech had a 22-12 lead after another Obanor 3-pointer nine minutes into the game… Obanor was 3-for-3 on 3-pointers to start the game and had scored 11 of the 22 points for Tech
Harmon hit a jumper to give Tech a 28-18 lead with eight minutes to play until halftime… Harmon had four points and Tech was shooting 10-for-17 after his basket
LSU was on an 8-0 run after a Hannibal fastbreak layup to make it a 28-26 lead for Tech before a Harmon 3-pointer stopped the run and pushed the lead to five… He had seven points and Tech was 5-for-9 on 3-pointers
Walton made back-to-back 3-pointers for a 40-30 lead with 2:24 to play until halftime… It was his first two baskets of the game… Tech was 7-for-11 on 3s, LSU was 6-for-12 at that point
LSU came out of halftime and cut it to 42-40 within three minutes of play before a Harmon 3-pointer gave Tech a 45-40 lead… Harmon had 10 points after the team's first 3-pointer of the second half
LSU took its first lead of the second half at 46-45 with a Miller 3-pointer with 13:30 on the clock… He had 16 points after his fifth 3-pointer of the game
Walton would respond by hitting his third and fourth 3-pointers of the game, giving Tech a 51-46 lead and him 12 points with 11 minutes remaining… Walton was 4-for-5 on 3-pointers after the shots while Tech was 10-for-16 from beyond the arc
LSU went on a 10-0 run with Williams hitting a 3 for a 56-51 lead before Obanor stopped the spurt with a layup.. He would miss a free throw and eventually make another layup on the same trip down to make it a 56-55 game
Obanor would get to 20 points and give Tech a 57-56 lead with 8 minutes remaining... It was a 6-0 run by Obanor after LSU had taken a five-point lead
Walton drilled his fifth 3-pointer of the game before a fastbreak dunk by Tyson had Tech leading 62-58 with 6:47 remaining
Tech had a 66-60 lead with 3:40 remaining after Harmon free throws and a Walton layup – going into the final media timeout of the game
Harmon got to the lane and made a layup to push a run to 7-0 and lead to 69-60 with 2:48 remaining
Obanor would throw down a dunk to give Tech a 71-62 lead on a second-chance play that started with Fisher grabbing his eighth rebound of the game