Field Level Media
Feb 7, 2021
Mac McClung had 23 points as No. 13 Texas Tech defeated Kansas State 73-62 on Saturday at Manhattan, Kan., in a game in which the Red Raiders never trailed.
The Red Raiders (14-5, 6-4 Big 12) received 15 points from Kevin McCullar and 13 from Kyler Edwards.
The Wildcats (5-15, 1-10) fell to 0-8 on Saturdays this season. Kansas State was led by Nijel Pack and Mike McGuirl with 16 points each. Kaosi Ezeagu added 10 points.
Kansas State has not won a conference home game this season. The last time the Wildcats went winless at home in conference play was in 1922-23, when they were 2-14 in the Missouri Valley Conference with both wins coming on the road.
The Wildcats' remaining home games are against No. 6 Texas, No. 23 Kansas and No. 9 Oklahoma, plus a game against Iowa State that has yet to be rescheduled.
Despite its struggles all season, Kansas State managed to keep the game close. Texas Tech grabbed its first double-digit lead at 44-33 with 13:10 remaining to cap a 9-0 run. But Kansas State kept hanging around, sitting as close at six points at 63-57 with 2:20 remaining, but they could not get any closer.
As has been the case all season, turnovers hurt the Wildcats. They had seven turnovers in the first seven minutes and finished the game with 18.
Neither team could get its offense going in the first half. With just under 10 minutes remaining in the opening half, the Red Raiders led 11-8. Only three Texas Tech players had scored, led by eight points from McClung. Only two Wildcats had scored, led by Pack with six.
Texas Tech took a 30-25 lead into halftime. They were led by McClung's 13, the only Red Raiders player with more than three points. Kansas State was led by McGuirl, who had eight points in the final eight minutes.
Texas Tech was 10 of 20 (50 percent) from 3-point range in the game and 24 of 51 (47.1 percent) from the field.
--Field Level Media