Texas Tech overcame dreadful long-range shooting and eventually subdued visiting Texas A&M Corpus Christi 73-64 on Thursday night in Lubbock, Texas.
Chance McMillian led the Red Raiders (3-0) with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including three 3-pointers. They finished just 5 of 24 (20.8 percent) from distance as a team, however, near their season average beginning the night.
Joe Toussaint chipped in 14 points, 11 in the second half, and Warren Washington added 13 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Both players went 5 of 7 from the free-throw line. Texas Tech was 20 of 27 from the line, while Corpus Christi had only nine free-throw attempts and made five.
Dian Wright-Forde began the night averaging nearly six points, but he erupted for 16 as the Islanders (2-2), a 24.5-point underdog, hung close all night. Owen Dease netted 14 points but shot just 5 of 16.
The Red Raiders led by 10 at halftime, but the Islanders had a handful of opportunities to tie or take the lead about midway through the second half. Instead, a series of turnovers and missed shots kept them from getting over the hump. Each team finished with 17 turnovers.
Texas Tech twice pushed the lead back to nine with less than two minutes left in the game, including on a 3-pointer by McMillian with 1:51 to play. Toussaint added two free throws to push the lead back to nine with 39 seconds left and seal the win.
Corpus Christi shot 40.6 percent from the floor, including 7 of 17 from long range. Texas Tech hit 44.4 percent from the field.
Despite making just 2 of 17 shots from long range in the first half, the Red Raiders’ overall dominance allowed them to overtake the Islanders and lead 41-31 at the break.
McMillian’s 3-pointer started a 7-0 run that put Texas Tech up 20-15 with 8:04 left in the half.
Washington had nine points and seven rebounds in the first half, and Texas Tech shot 44 percent from the floor and hit 11 of 15 free throws.
–Field Level Media