Skip to content

RECAP: Tech falls at No. 13 Kansas State

MANHATTAN, Kansas – A 50-50 game turned into a 68-58 loss for Texas Tech against No. 13 Kansas State on Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum.

The Red Raiders (10-9, 0-7 Big 12) led 33-28 at halftime but have now lost seven straight games to open Big 12 play with the Wildcats (17-2, 6-1 Big 12) going on a 10 -0 run after a Pop Isaacs 3-pointer to make it 50-50 midway through the second half. Tech had not lost seven straight to begin conference play since going 0-11 to start the 2012 conference slate. KSU pulled away with Tech not responding to the 10-0 run until a hook shot from Fardaws Aimaq to make it a 60-52 deficit with 1:54 remaining – a span where the Red Raiders had gone 6:54 between points.

Tech returns home to host West Virginia at 6 pm on Wednesday at the United Supermarkets Arena before traveling to play at LSU next Saturday in the Big 12-SEC Challenge in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Isaacs and De’Vion Harmon led Tech with 13 points each, while Kevin Obanor had nine points and eight rebounds for the Red Raiders who owned a 30-20 scoring advantage in the paint. Isaacs would hit a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer from beyond halfcourt for the five-point advantage, but Tech is now 0-3 in Big 12 games when leading at halftime after also having halftime leads at TCU and Texas. Obanor finished the game with five offensive rebounds, while Aimaq had six points and six rebounds. Four of his six rebounds were offensive in a game where Tech had a 23-10 offensive rebounding advantage. Daniel Batcho led the Tech reserves with six points and four rebounds.

Tech finished the game 23-for-71 (32.4 percent) from the field and was 7-for-29 on 3-pointers. Kansas State shot 20-for-47 from the field and was 8-for-25 on 3-pointers. Markquis Nowell had a game-high 23 points with four 3-pointers, while Keyontae Johnson recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Wildcats.

Both teams struggled from the free-throw line with Tech shooting 5-for-12 and KSU going 20-for-27. Nowell was 9-for-10 at the line. Johnson was 8-for-10. Obanor came into the game shooting 85.3 percent at the line this season but went 0-for-5 on free throws.

Isaacs has now scored in double figures in seven straight games for the first time in his career and in 12 games this season. He was 3-for-11 on 3-pointers, giving him nine games with three or more 3-pointers and now 47 for the season. He has had three or more 3s in three straight games after hitting five at Texas in his 23-point performance before making three against Baylor on Tuesday. Obanor now has 1,008 career rebounds and 1,956 points.

Texas Tech had a 33-28 halftime lead with Isaacs banking a halfcourt 3-pointer at the buzzer for a five-point lead. Tech had trailed by as many as seven points in the half with KSU leading 26-19. Isaacs led the Red Raiders at the half with eight points after going 2-for-4 on 3-pointers, while Obanor had six points and five rebounds. Harmon also had six points and Tyson and Aimaq both had four points through 20 minutes. Tech was 12-for-31 (38.7 percent) from the field in the first half and 4-for-9 on 3-pointers. Tyson and Walton had one 3-pointer each going into the break. Tech, which also had halftime leads against TCU and Texas on the road, owned a 16-6 scoring advantage in the paint and a 20-17 rebounding margin. Nowell led the Wildcats with 12 points after going 4-for-8 on 3-pointers in the first half.

The Red Raiders are now 0-7 against ranked opponents and 0-4 on the road this season.

KEY MOMENTS

  • KSU won the tip and scored on its opening possession with a 3-pointer from Nowell for a 3-0 lead… Aimaq scored for Tech on its opening possession with an inside shot
  • Tech took its first lead of the game with Obanor making a layup on an in-bounds play for an 8-6 lead going into the first media timeout on a 6-0 run.
  • Obanor had a putback for an 8-0 run and a 10-6 lead before another Nowell 3-pointer stopped the run… KSU started the game 3-for-7 on 3-pointers
  • Walton hit Tech’s first 3-pointer of the game and cut KSU’s lead to 19-16 with 6:32 to play until halftime… Tech was 1-for-5 on 3-pointers after his shot while KSU was 5-for-14 at that time
  • Isaacs would make his first 3-pointer of the game to make it 21-19… He was the seventh Red Raider to score in the game
  • A Tyson 3-pointer cut KSU’s lead to 26-22 going into the final media timeout of the half… Tyson had four points and Tech was 3-for-8 on 3-pointers with the shot
  • Tech tied the game at 26-26 with a pair of free throws from Harmon to get to a 7-0 run… Tech was 3-for-7 from the line after his makes
  • Tech took a 28-26 lead with Isaacs hitting a pair of free throws on the next possession… Tech was on a 9-0 run before KSU’s Iyiola made two free throws on the other end to tie the game
  • Isaacs banked in a 3-pointer from halfcourt at the buzzer for a 33-28 lead… Isaacs had eight points at the break and was 2-for-4 on 3-pointers
  • KSU started the second half on a 7-2 run and tied the game at 35-35 going into the first media timeout of the second half… Tyson made Tech’s first shot of the second half with a runner to make it 35-30 two minutes in
  • Harmon hit a 3-pointer to give Tech a 38-35 lead… It was Harmon’s first 3-pointer of the game and gave him nine points… Tech was 5-for-15 on 3s after his shot
  • Obanor gave Tech a 43-37 lead with a 3-pointer before Isaacs made a fastbreak layup for a 45-37 advantage with 13:20 to play… Isaacs had 10 points with the layup to be the first Red Raider in double figures.
  • KSU was on a 9-0 run and took a 46-45 with a Johnson dunk that started with him coming up with a defensive steal… It was their first lead since the first half
  • Batcho stopped an 11-0 run with a dunk that made it a 48-47 lead for KSU… Batcho had six points after the play where he grabbed a rebound off an Isaacs miss to push Tech’s second-chance point total to 15 with 9: 35 remaining
  • Isaacs made it a 50-50 game with his third 3-pointer of the game… He had a team-high 13 points with Tech at 7-for-19 on 3s
  • KSU took a 56-50 lead in to the final media timeout with a 6-0 run following the 3-pointer by Isaacs – a span of over nearly five minutes with Tech not scoring going into the timeout
  • Tech would respond to an 10-0 run with a hook shot from Aimaq to make it a 60-52 deficit with 1:54 remaining… Tech had gone 6:54 between the Isaacs 3-pointer to tie the game at 50-50 before the shot