Red Raiders remain unbeaten in Big 12 play

Saturday, January 13

Lubbock, Texas

3 p.m.

Texas Tech Athletics

14-2,3-0Big 12

Kansas State

12-4,2-1Big 12

Kansas St.

Texas Tech

Red Raiders remain unbeaten in Big 12 play

January 13, 2024 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score Press Conference Highlights Season Stats Tech Career Stats

By: Wes Bloomquist

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit and extended its winning streak to nine after earning a 60-59 win over Kansas State with Joe Toussaint scoring the game-winning points with 30 seconds remaining on Saturday at United Supermarkets Arena. The Wildcats had the final possession but a shot by Tylor Perry in the final seconds missed and Chance McMillian secured the rebound as time expired.

"I felt like I was throwing the ball up a lot," Toussaint said. "They were pushing me out of my spot, but on that last shot I got to my spot, I got comfortable, gave them a nice little shot fake and thank God I made the shot."

Texas Tech returns to action at 8 p.m. on Wednesday against No. 2 Houston at Fertitta Center in Houston for their first matchup as Big 12 opponents and only regular-season game this year between the two. The Cougars (14-2, 1-2 Big 12) are coming off a 68-67 loss at TCU on Saturday after a loss at Iowa State on Tuesday.

The Red Raiders (14-2, 3-0 Big 12) led 22-13 in the first half before K-State went on a 20-0 run to end the half but fought back and are now 10-0 at home and off to the best conference start since going 4-0 to start the 2019 Big 12 schedule after overcoming the Wildcats (12-4, 2-1 Big 12). Tech, which had overcome a nine-point halftime deficit earlier this season in a win over Northern Iowa in the Bahamas, quickly fought back in the second half with a 9-0 run that was capped by a basket from Warren Washington that got him to 1,000 points in his career and the Red Raiders to within 38-35 five minutes into the second half. Darrion Williams would hit his only 3-pointer of the game to cut K-State's lead to 55-49 with 4:15 to play and tied the game at 57-all with a pair of free throws with 1:36 remaining before Perry gave the Wildcats the lead back with a pair of free throws on the other end. Toussaint gave Tech its first lead since the first half with a layup and free throw with 30 seconds remaining before the defensive stop ended the game.

"We turned them over 18 times which told me our activity was there," Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said. "They have really good individual offensive players, but the story to me was on the glass and our ability to get to the free-throw line. We needed to create offense in different ways and we did it with offensive rebounds and free throws. Joe didn't shoot it very good and forced some things, but at the end, he showed a lot of patience. This team just learns. We learn as we play. Their heart is to get better. We weren't discouraged. We let missed shots affect us early in the year, but we are not doing that right now. We're just like, 'we are going to win the game.' Let's just find a way."

Toussaint led the Red Raiders with 12 points and two assists, while Washington had 11 points and eight rebounds. Williams added 10 points, six rebounds, and two assists and Pop Issacs scored 10 points in the game with four double-figure scorers, but also a game where Tech struggled shooting at 5-for-15 (20%) on 3-pointers and 20-for-55 (36.4%) from the field. At the free-throw line, they shined, going 15-for-18. On the glass, K-State had a 21-8 advantage in the first half. Tech reversed that in the second half with a 23-13 rebounding margin. Toussaint finished the game 4-for-13 overall but was 3-for-3 at the line. Isaacs, who had scored over 20 in four straight games, was just 1-for-7 on 3-pointers but went 7-for-7 at the line. Williams was 3-for-3 at the line.

"I think we just have a big will to win," Williams said. "I mean, none of us like losing. We push each other every day in practice. And believe it or not, we practice that situation all the time. I think we just executed."

McMillian, who hit a 3-pointer to push that second-half run to 7-0, finished the game with eight points to lead the reserves while Kerwin Walton had five points and two steals in his eighth straight start. Robert Jennings and Lamar Washington both added to the depth, finishing with two points each. Lamar Washington had a big sequence midway through the second half, coming up with a steal and then an offensive basket and layup to make it 42-37 with 11 minutes to play. Tech finished with only nine turnovers and have had single-digit turnovers in five straight games.

K-State, an NCAA Tournament Elite 8 team from last season, finished the game with 18 turnovers while Tech had only nine. The Wildcats shot 10-for-23 on 3-pointers and were 44.0% from the field. They finished with a 34-31 rebounding advantage, but the Red Raiders owned a 28-18 scoring advantage in the paint. Perry, who played for McCasland at UNT, led K-State with 16 points with four 3-pointers while Cam Carter added 15 points and Arthur Kaluma had 10. The Wildcats were only the third opponent this season with 10 or more 3-pointers against Tech in a game.

Kansas State took a 33-22 lead into halftime after closing out the half on a 20-0 run with the Red Raiders not scoring over the final seven minutes of the half. Tech had built a nine-point lead and led for a majority of the half before the Wildcats went on a run that was spearheaded by Perry hitting three straight 3-pointers to start the run. Isaacs led the Red Raiders in the half with six points, while Toussaint had five points and Walton three. Tech finished the first half 7-for-25 from the field (28%) and were 3-for-13 on 3-pointers (23.1%). K-State was 12-for-23 (52.2%) from the field and 8-for13 (61.5%) on 3-pointers. K-State owned a 21-8 rebounding advantage in the half to overcome 12 turnovers to only four from the Red Raiders. Tech jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the game and were up 12-5 on three free throws by Isaacs and 17-8 on a Toussaint 3-pointer. A Walton 3-pointer pushed Tech's lead to 22-13 before the Wildcats went on the 20-0 run that was capped by a Carter 3-pointer for the 11-point halftime lead.

"What a tremendous atmosphere," McCasland said. "I thought our students were unbelievable. I think that's a credit to this program and what's been built here previously to us getting here. There's a lot of belief in this building. It's a blast to be a part of."