Field Level Media
Jan 9, 2021
Texas Tech came out with a red-hot shooting touch and never really cooled off Saturday against struggling Iowa State, which needed a late push to avoid its worst-ever home loss.
The 18th-ranked Red Raiders stormed past the Cyclones in Ames for a second year in a row, notching their most lopsided victory of the Big 12 Conference season with a 91-64 rout. It was Texas Tech's largest margin of victory in Big 12 Conference play since a 30-point demolition (87-57) of Iowa State last February.
Kyler Edwards was emblematic of Texas Tech's torrid first half, scoring 16 of his season-best 19 points before intermission. Kevin McCullar notched a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Mac McClung scored 18 on one of his best shooting days this season (8-of-10).
En route to their second conference road win in two trips this season, the Red Raiders (10-3, 3-2 Big 12 Conference) shot 58.9 percent as a team from the field (33-of-56) after a blazing opening 20 minutes when they connected on 20-of-33 (60.6 percent) and hit 5-of-11 from 3-point range on the way to a 54-30 advantage. Edwards was 5-of-6 from the floor to help Texas Tech notch its highest scoring half this season.
Rasir Bolton and Solomon Young paced the last-place Cyclones (2-7, 0-5 Big 12) with 15 points apiece and Javan Johnson scored 14. Iowa State dipped to its worst league start since 2005.
The Cyclones got dominated in every way imaginable. Texas Tech outscored Iowa State 42-22 in the paint, won the bench scoring battle 27-6, outrebounded the Cyclones 33-26 and converted 15 turnovers into 24 points.
The Red Raiders' nearly flawless first half included only one turnover and a 9-for-11 performance at the free-theow line. Texas Tech ended the day 18-of-21 at the stripe, a season-best 85.7 percent. That came on the heels of a game at Kansas State when the Red Raiders were 30-of-36 (83.3 percent).
--Field Level Media