On Monday night, the Texas Tech basketball team defeated short-handed No. 7 Kansas University 79-50 at United Supermarket Arena thanks to an early onslaught from the perimeter.
The Red Raiders came out strong and never let up, earning a big win on their home floor and giving Grant McCasland his first win against a top-10 team in his Red Raider era.
Kansas coach Bill Self was ejected with 5 minutes and 49 seconds left in the game. Pop Isaacs made four technical free throws, putting the game out of reach forever. The Jayhawks are without All-American candidate Kevin McCuller Jr. and fall to 1-5 on the road this season.
Texas Tech starts with a 3-point barrage
The Red Raiders started the game with a flurry of 3-point shots to put the Jayhawks at bay.
At one point in the first half, Texas Tech was hitting eight threes, while Kansas only made seven total. He made a total of 9 triples (total of 9 triples).
The outside shooting allowed the Red Raiders to open up a 15-point lead, Tech’s biggest advantage in a game since a 21-point lead against Oklahoma State on Jan. 9. That lead would be broken in the second half, when Tech led with 73 points. 48
Darrion Williams continues his strong streak
Darrion Williams, who had a career-high 17 points against Baylor and a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds against Central Florida, was back on track Monday.
Williams led all scorers with 12 points at intermission, converting all five of his shot attempts. He also had five rebounds.
This is the first time all season that Williams has scored in double digits in three consecutive games. It’s also the first time he’s done it in his career, as he’s never done it before at the University of Nevada.
With 3:07 remaining, Williams went 10-of-10 from the field, had 26 points and 11 rebounds, completing another double-double.
Victory between the wires
The Jayhawks never seemed to be able to gain any footing without McCuller, and their top three players Hunter Dickinson, KJ Adams Jr. and Darjuan Harris Jr. struggled all night.
With about five minutes remaining, Kansas’ top three players had 16 points on 5-of-27 field goals. At the same time, Darrion Williams alone scored 22 points.
What’s next?
The Red Raiders departed for their next round of games, which included their second matchup against a top-10 opponent in six days. Texas Tech is scheduled to visit No. 10 Iowa State in Ames on Saturday for a tip at 11 a.m.