Kevin Obanor and Jaylon Tyson scored 13 points apiece to help No. 25 Texas Tech to an easy 78-54 victory over Texas Southern on Thursday night at Lubbock, Texas.
De’Vion Harmon added 12 points as the Red Raiders (2-0) recorded their 23rd consecutive home win. Obanor was 6-of-8 shooting and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
Zytarious Morlte had 12 points and three steals and Davon Barnes added 10 points for Texas Southern (0-2). John Walker III collected 12 rebounds for the Tigers.
Texas Southern played without PJ Henry (undisclosed injury), who scored 21 points in Monday’s season-opening loss at San Francisco.
Texas Tech shot 45.9 percent from the field but made just 29.4 percent (5 of 17) from 3-point range. The Red Raiders improved to 21-0 all-time against members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
The Tigers made only 35 percent of their attempts, including 4 of 18 (22.2 percent) from behind the arc. Texas Southern committed 19 turnovers to the Red Raiders’ 12.
A basket by Obanor pushed Texas Tech’s lead above 20 points for the first time at 56-35 with 11:27 remaining.
A short time later, Tyson converted back-to-back layups to make it 65-38 with 8:16 left.
Harmon made two free throws with 5:51 left to push lead over at 71-40 and the lead topped out at 32 as Texas Tech closed out the triumph.
Texas Southern trailed 15-13 after Kolby Granger’s basket with 11:20 remaining in the first half before the Red Raiders went on a 10-1 run to open up an 11-point lead.
Texas Tech later increased its advantage to 34-20 on Elijah Fisher’s short bank shot in the lane.
Harmon scored four straight points in the final minute of the half to give the Red Raiders a 19-point lead. But Isaiah Marin closed the half with a 3-pointer as the Tigers trailed 44-28 at the break.
Texas Tech shot 58.6 percent from the field in the first half, while Texas Southern shot 42.3 percent.
–Field Level Media