Texas Tech starts fast, rallies to beat No. 4 Baylor
LUBBOCK, Texas - Keenan Evans scored 23 points, Niem Stevenson had 21 and Texas Tech toppled fourth-ranked Baylor 84-78 on Monday night.
The Red Raiders rallied in the second half after blowing an early 12-point lead. Texas Tech opened the game with an 11-0 run and used an identical spurt late in the second half to go ahead to stay.
Devon Thomas converted a tying three-point play with 7:09 left, his only points of the game coming after he was originally whistled for charging while making a layup. Officials reviewed the play and the call was overturned after it was determined Jake Lindsey was in the restricted area when he drew contact, and he instead was given the foul.
Aaron Ross then hit a 3-pointer, and his layup with five minutes left put Texas Tech (17-9, 5-8 Big 12) up 69-61.
Justin Gray added 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Zach Smith scored 11 for the Red Raiders, who were coming off consecutive one-point losses. They were beaten 80-79 at home by third-ranked Kansas on Saturday.
Terry Maston led Baylor (22-4, 9-4) with a career-high 22 points. Manu Lecomte, who fouled out after a technical in the second half, finished with 16.
Ross hit two free throws after Lecomte was called for a technical, which immediately followed his fourth personal foul with 8:28 left. Ross hit two free throws and, after Maston hit a jumper for Baylor, the Red Raiders went on their decisive 11-0 run.
Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. and Johnathan Motley, the Bears' leading scorer entering the game, had 11 points apiece.
Motley was scoreless in the first half, when Baylor recovered from a 14-2 deficit to go ahead 36-32 at the break.
BIG PICTURE
Baylor: Just days after being listed as a preliminary No. 1 seed by the NCAA Tournament selection committee, the Bears lost for the third time in five games. Baylor didn't have enough to rally late with Motley struggling and Lecomte on the bench the last 8 1/2 minutes. The Bears do get a chance to regain their momentum with three of their next four games at home, but two of those are against the Big 12's other Top 10 teams (Kansas and West Virginia).
Texas Tech: The Red Raiders got their third win at home this season over a Top 25 team (the others came against then-No. 7 West Virginia and then-No. 25 Kansas State in early January) in coach Chris Beard's first season. They had lost five of their previous six Big 12 games, the last four of those losses by four points or fewer. That included one-point losses last week to Kansas and TCU.
UP NEXT
Baylor: Home on Saturday against Big 12-leading and No. 3 Kansas. The Jayhawks won 73-68 at home over Baylor on Feb. 1.
Texas Tech: On the road to play its third consecutive Top 10 opponent, at No. 9 West Virginia on Saturday. Texas Tech won at home against the Mountaineers on Jan. 3.