Joe Toussaint scored 19 points as Texas Tech improved its winning streak to four games Thursday with a 77-66 victory over visiting UT Arlington at Lubbock, Texas.
Pop Isaacs turned in a second consecutive solid outing with 18 points for Texas Tech (9-2), bolstered by a pair of 3-pointers in the second half.
The Red Raiders were 10 of 27 (37.0 percent) from 3-point range with Darrion Williams and Chance McMillan making three each. Williams was 3 of 3 from distance for 14 points, while McMillan was 3 of 7 for 13 points.
Phillip Russell scored 18 points and Akili Vining added 16 for the Mavericks (6-5), who saw a two-game winning streak come to an end.
Trailing 53-33 with 15:27 remaining, UT Arlington whittled its deficit to 64-58 with 6:24 left on Dwayne Koroma’s fast-break layup and had the ball with a chance to pull closer.
Texas Tech regained control with an 11-2 blitz, culminating with Isaacs’ second 3-pointer at with 3:19 remaining that extended the Red Raiders’ lead to 75-60.
The Red Raiders were poised to run away and hide when they stretched a 39-25 halftime lead to 20 points on Chance McMillian’s 3-pointer. But the Mavericks came to life with 13 unanswered points to climb within 53-46 when Aaron Cash knocked down a short put-back jump shot at the 12:17 juncture.
Texas Tech came out scorching to begin the day, hitting 11 of its initial 15 shots but UT Arlington stayed in range by connecting on five 3-pointers in the first half.
The Mavericks closed within 24-21 on UTA’s fifth 3-pointer of the half. The Red Raiders regained their footing and ended the half on a 15-4 burst.
Despite leading UTA in scoring, Russell missed all seven of his 3-point tries, with the Mavericks going 8 of 28 (28.6 percent) from deep in the game.
UTA committed 11 turnovers in the first half, while Texas Tech committed 10. Both teams finished with 17 turnovers in the game.
–Field Level Media