Texas Tech @ Iowa State preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 18, 2020 ) Iowa State 52, Texas Tech 72

After flushing the worst loss of the season, Texas Tech tries to make it two straight wins when it visits Iowa State on Saturday in a Big 12 game. The Red Raiders, who control their own destiny to finish third in the Big 12, begin a string of three straight contests against teams with losing conference records before closing the regular season at No. 1 Baylor and against No. 3 Kansas - the only clubs ahead of them in the standings.

Texas Tech bounced back from a 73-70 loss to Oklahoma State on Feb. 15 with a 69-62 victory over Kansas State on Wednesday. "I think we understood what was at stake," Red Raiders coach Chris Beard told reporters. "Didn't play our best game, but I thought when it mattered most we kind of dug in and we had some separation." The Cyclones have dropped two of three games since losing stat sheet-stuffer Tyrese Haliburton to a broken wrist, including a 91-71 loss at No. 3 Kansas on Monday, but are not waving the white flag. "We’re right there in the mix,'' Iowa State coach Steve Prohm told the media about his club's Big 12 standing. "We’re a game behind sixth right now ... If we can take care of business and get in that sixth or five seed as we go to Kansas City, it gives you a chance for some type of postseason aspirations."

TIME: 6 p.m. ET. TV: ESPNU

ABOUT TEXAS TECH (17-9, 8-5 Big 12): Freshman guard Jahmi'us Ramsey paces the team at 15.9 points per game after scoring 17 on Wednesday and leads the conference in 3-point shooting at 44.8 percent. Davide Moretti, who is the best free-throw shooter in the Big 12 at 89.4 percent, scored 18 versus Kansas State and averages 13.5 points. Kyler Edwards (12 points per game) has scored in double figures in his last five contests after recording 14 on Wednesday and is 9-for-17 from 3-point range in his last three games.

ABOUT IOWA STATE (11-15, 4-9): Michael Jacobson and Prentiss Nixon - both seniors - have stepped up in the last two games, including an 81-52 victory over Texas on Feb. 15. Jacobson scored a total of 34 points in the past two contests, raising his season average to 7.3 and moving to within 75 points of 1,000 while Nixon recorded his first 20-point game with the team (21 versus Texas) and also combined for 34 during that span. Solomon Young (9.3 points) is averaging 16.5 while shooting 19-for-26 from the field in his last four home contests.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Red Raiders are not in the Top 25 but are No. 20 in the NET rankings.

2. The Cyclones are last in the Big 12 in points yielded at 72.6 and in field-goal percentage defense (44.5).

3. The Red Raiders defeated the Cyclones 72-52 on Jan. 18 behind 22 points from Edwards - two off the career high he posted in the previous game when they upended Kansas State 77-63.

PREDICTION: Texas Tech 64, Iowa State 63