Baylor Bears vs Texas Tech Red Raiders Match Player Stats On Dec 29, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Dec 29, 2017

LUBBOCK, Texas -- No. 22 Texas Tech built a big lead in the first half and stiff-armed No. 18 Baylor the rest of the way for a 77-53 victory in the Big 12 opener for both teams on Friday night at United Supermarkets Arena.

The Red Raiders (12-1, 1-0 Big 12) surged ahead by 29 points when guard Niem Stevenson made a layup with 10:53 remaining and Texas Tech cruised from there.

Guard Keenan Evans scored 18 points to lead four players in double figures for the Red Raiders. Forward Zhaire Smith added 15, guard Jarrett Culver scored 13 and Stevenson finished with 11.

Forward Mark Vital scored 12 to lead Baylor (10-3, 0-1), while forward Tristan Clark and guard King McClure finished with 10 apiece.

Texas Tech held Baylor leading scorer guard Manu Lecomte to eight points on 3-of-11 shooting from the field. The Bears shot 37 percent as a team.

Baylor was playing without 7-foot forward Jo Lual-Acuil, who was listed as day-to-day with a sprained left foot.

The Bears got forward Terry Maston back from a broken right hand that he suffered on Nov. 28 at Xavier. However, Maston looked uncomfortable with his right hand wrapped as he went 0-for-4 from the field.

Red Raiders forward Zach Smith suffered an apparent left foot injury early in the first half and didn't return.

Texas Tech stretched out a double-digit lead in the first half when Culver hit a jumper in the lane and forward Tommy Hamilton nailed a 3-pointer from near the top of the key. Hamilton's 3-pointer boosted the Red Raiders to a 20-9 edge with 8:52 left until halftime.

Texas Tech held Baylor scoreless for more than six minutes of the first half, helping the Red Raiders build a 14-0 run. Guard Brandone Francis got into the lane for a layup to cap the spurt and put Texas Tech ahead 29-9 with 4:42 to go until the break.

Stevenson hit a 3-pointer from the right corner with five seconds left to give the Red Raiders their largest lead of the first half at 21-points.

Texas Tech outrebounded Baylor 22-8 and held the Bears to 30 percent shooting in the first 20 minutes.

NOTES: This was the first matchup between Texas Tech and Baylor when both teams were ranked in the Top 25. ... Texas Tech owns a 79-56 lead in the all-time series with Baylor, including a 47-18 edge in Lubbock. ... Baylor began Big 12 play on the road for the fifth straight season, a streak that includes four games against ranked opponents. The Bears are 1-3 in those games so far.