Field Level Media
Mar 5, 2024
Texas Tech roared to a big first-half lead then subdued a mild Oklahoma State uprising in the second half to claim a 75-58 victory on Tuesday in Stillwater, Okla.
Pop Isaacs led the Red Raiders with 19 points and added five assists, and Darrion Williams tallied 18 points and nine rebounds. That tandem combined to shoot 15 of 23 from the floor, which helped Texas Tech finish at 50 percent (28 of 56) as a team.
Eric Dailey Jr. paced the Cowboys with 12 points, and John-Michael Wright finished with 11 points. Oklahoma State, which never led, hit just 37 percent (20 of 54) of its field-goal attempts.
The win pushes Texas Tech (21-9, 10-7 Big 12) a step closer to clinching a bye into the conference tournament quarterfinals, which it could secure with a victory Saturday in the regular-season finale at home against No. 11 Baylor.
The Red Raiders finished a season sweep of the Cowboys for the first time since 2018-19.
Oklahoma State (12-18, 4-13) started the game poorly, missing its first 10 floor shots to tumble into a 12-1 hole. The Cowboys never heated up before halftime and finished the opening 20 minutes shooting 21.4 percent (6 of 28) to trail 38-17 at the break.
The Red Raiders grabbed control behind Isaacs and Williams, who each connected on 5 of 6 field-goal attempts (2 of 3 apiece from 3-point territory) and registered 12 points each in the first half.
Wright provided a spark for Oklahoma State in the early stages of the second half, with his eight points helping the Cowboys creep within 52-38 on Dailey's 3-pointer at the 11:34 juncture. But Texas Tech regained its footing when Chance McMillian scored five points in 18 seconds, and the lead never dwindled under 16 again.
The Cowboys turned the ball over 17 times, which the Red Raiders converted into 21 points. Texas Tech also won the battle on the backboards, 34-30, and notched 11 second-chance points despite big man Warren Washington sitting out again due to a foot injury.
--Field Level Media