Baylor @ Texas Tech preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 19, 2019 ) Texas Tech 62, Baylor 73

No. 15 Texas Tech is surging up the Big 12 standings with five wins in its last six games and will try to keep the heat on the league leaders - and seek a measure of revenge - when it hosts Baylor on Saturday. The Red Raiders have won by an average of 23.7 points during its three-game run, which includes back-to-back road wins at Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

"We're really together," Texas Tech senior forward Tariq Owens told reporters after the 78-50 thrashing of the Cowboys on Wednesday. "I just feel like we're really locked in right now." The Red Raiders have lost two straight to the Bears, however, and both came when Texas Tech was ranked in the top 10 nationally - the latest a 73-62 setback at Baylor last month. That was part of a six-game winning streak for the Bears, who then lost two in a row before upending the Oklahoma 59-53 at home Monday night. The Red Raiders enter the weekend 1 1/2 games behind first-place Kansas State and tied with Kansas, while Baylor sits two games back in a fourth-place tie with Iowa State.

TV: 2 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT BAYLOR (16-8, 7-4 Big 12): The Bears allowed an average of 77 points in losses to Texas and Kansas State before limiting the Sooners to 22 second-half points in Monday's win, with junior guard Devonte Bandoo hitting a career-high five 3-pointers en route to 19 points. Leading scorer Makai Mason (15.6 points per game) returned from a one-game layoff to make just two of his 14 shot attempts, but the senior led the way with a career high-tying eight assists. "Him just being on the court provides a big presence with his leadership. He's played in college for five years, so he knows the ins and outs," Bandoo told reporters of Mason. "The other team knows he's such a dangerous threat out there. It does help."

ABOUT TEXAS TECH (20-5, 8-4): Sophomore guard Jarrett Culver ranks third in the Big 12 in scoring (17.7) after producing 19 in the win at Oklahoma State. Senior guard Matt Mooney drilled all five of his 3-point attempts against the Cowboys and is averaging 12.7 points over his last six games to bump his season average to 10.8. Owens leads the conference in blocks (2.4) after swatting a total of six shots in the victories at Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, and he ranks third in the Big 12 in field-goal percentage (56.5).

TIP-INS

1. Freshman G Jared Butler had 19 points to lead the Bears in the first meeting.

2. Baylor senior G King McClure (knee) has missed two straight games and is day-to-day.

3. Red Raiders sophomore G Davide Moretti is averaging 12 points on 50.6 percent shooting in Big 12 play and had a career-high eight assists Wednesday.

PREDICTION: Texas Tech 73, Baylor 66