Pop Isaacs scored a game-high 19 points, including a go-ahead three-point play with 39 seconds left, to guide No. 23 Texas Tech past TCU, 82-81, on Tuesday in Lubbock, Texas.
Texas Tech (19-7, 8-5 Big 12) outscored TCU 25-14 over the final 7:25 to salvage a split of the two-game regular-season series.
The Horned Frogs (18-8, 7-6) produced six scorers in double figures to the Red Raiders’ four, but TCU was unable to overcome 12 turnovers.
Isaacs went 11-for-12 from the free-throw line to pace a 24-for-28 effort that allowed Texas Tech to seal the result.
TCU’s JaKobe Coles dropped in a putback with one second left to forge the final score. He followed up a miss of a 3-point attempt from Jameer Nelson Jr. that would have tied the game at 82-all.
Emanuel Miller notched a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Horned Frogs. Avery Anderson III (15 points) and Nelson (14) followed, while Essam Mostafa, Micah Peavy and Coles chipped in 10 points apiece.
After struggling from long range in the first half, TCU heated up after the break. Three treys from Nelson fueled a surge that helped the Horned Frogs take their first double-digit lead of the game, 67-57, with 7:57 to go.
Capitalizing on TCU’s 1-for-11 slump from the floor that followed soon after, Texas Tech tied the game at 71 on a Darrion Williams fastbreak dunk with 2:25 left, then took a 75-73 lead on a pair of Isaacs free throws with 1:27 to go.
Joe Toussaint, Kerwin Walton and Williams each scored 14 points for the Red Raiders, who were outshot 42.3 percent to 39.4 percent overall. Toussaint had a game-high seven assists.
Both teams were without starters. Ernest Udeh Jr. (leg) missed the game for TCU, while Warren Washington was out for Texas Tech with a foot injury.
The Red Raiders and Horned Frogs were tied 38-38 at halftime. Anderson led all scorers through the first 20 minutes of action with 13 points. Walton paced Texas Tech with 11 first-half points.
–Field Level Media