Thursday, November 16
Lubbock, Texas
7 p.m.
Texas Tech Athletics
3-0,0-0Big 12
73
vs
64
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
2-2,0-0Southland
1
2
F
A&M-Corpus Christi
31
33
64
Texas Tech
41
32
73
Red Raiders outlast Islanders, 73-64
November 16, 2023 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK, Texas – Darrion Williams recorded a double-double with a career-high 14 rebounds and 10 points and Chance McMillian scored a team-high 17 points to help lead Texas Tech to a 73-64 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday at United Supermarkets Arena. The win was the 25th straight non-conference home victory for the Red Raiders and closed out an unblemished three-game homestand to begin the season.
"We went into the game knowing Corpus played really hard and I felt like they did," Tech coach Grant McCasland said. "They got into foul trouble and had to go deep into their bench, but man did they compete and when we talked to people that had played against them, whether it be scrimmage or a live game, everyone complimented just how hard they played, and I thought that really caused us problems with their defensive intensity. Obviously playing at home makes a big difference. There was an energy in the building, and we got a few baskets in transition. But we didn't play very well, and I've got to do a better job of helping us play better." Â
Texas Tech (3-0) is now set to play three games at Battle 4 Atlantis next week, starting against No. 21 Villanova on Wednesday in the opening round of the three-game event in the Bahamas before playing at Butler on November 30 in Indianapolis. Tech last played against Villanova in the 2018 NCAA Elite 8 with the Wildcats advancing and going on to win the National Championship. The game next week will be broadcast on ESPN.Â
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The Red Raiders are now limiting opponents to only 50.4 points through three games with Corpus being the first to break the 50-point mark against them. Tech had started the season by holding its first two opponents under 50 for the first time since the 1951-52 season. The Islanders (2-2), which were a 2023 NCAA Tournament team, was held to 40.6 percent shooting and were out-rebounded by a 40-33 margin in the game. The Red Raiders were 20-for-27 at the free-throw line and scored 34 of their 73 points in the paint. The Red Raiders finished the night 24-for-54 (44.4 percent) from the field but were only 5-for-24 on 3-pointers. Corpus finished the game 7-for-17 on 3-pointers.
Warren Washington added 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while Joe Toussaint had 14 points and three steals. Pop Isaacs scored eight and led the team with four assists in a game where Tech had 12 assists on 24 made shots. Isaacs leads Tech with 11.7 points per game this season and along with averaging a team-high 3.3 assists per game. Washington is averaging 9.7 points and 8.3 rebounds for the season. He's now scored in double-figures 45 times in his career which is the most on the Tech roster.Â
McMillian, who transferred after three seasons at Grand Canyon, scored a season-high 17 points after going 7-for-12 from the field with three 3-pointers. He scored a career-high 24 while at GCU but had been held to single digits in the first two games of the season. McMillian played 25 minutes as a reserve where he also had two blocks and hit a 3-pointer for a 49-40 lead and another for a 69-60 lead.
"I stayed confident," McMillian said. "My teammates told me they believed in me and to stay confident in shooting the ball. That came in big tonight, so I appreciate my teammates and my coaches."
McMillian is the third leading scorer for Tech in three games after Pop Isaacs led the team in the opener against Texas A&M-Commerce and Devan Cambridge against San Jose State. McMillian has now scored in double-figures in 31 games, while Williams has two double-doubles and 12 games with double-figure rebounding. "It was a collective thing," he said. "Everybody else boxed out and let me get the rebound, so I can't take all the credit. It was more of a team thing." Williams had 11 games at Nevada last season as a freshman with double-figure rebounding but only one double-double coming against New Mexico where he had his previous high of 13 rebounds. Toussaint has now scored in double figures in all three games this season and is averaging 11.3 points per game.
Cambridge finished with four points and four rebounds, while Lamar Washington had seven points, three rebounds, and two assists. Ten players entered the game and seven scored.Â
Corpus Christi came into the game averaging 88.3 ppg. and with its only loss being against No. 7 Houston. Dian Wright-Forde led the Islanders with 16 points off the bench while Owen Dease had 14.
Tech took a 41-31 lead into halftime with Warren Washington leading the team with nine points and seven rebounds, while Darrion Williams had eight points and five rebounds. The Red Raiders trailed by as many as six in the first half, being down 8-2 to start the game before going into the break with the 10-point lead. Tech had a 23-13 rebounding advantage to overcome a half that saw them shoot 2-for-17 on 3-pointers. Isaacs had seven points and a team-high three assists and McMillian and Washington had five points each to lead the reserves. McMillian hit Tech's first 3-pointer of the game, snapping a 0-for-9 and giving Tech a 16-15 lead. The Red Raiders were 11-for-15 on free throws and dominated inside with a 22-12 scoring advantage in the paint.
The Red Raiders will return from their trips to the Bahamas and Indianapolis for a pair of home games, starting against Omaha on Wednesday, December 6 and then Oral Roberts on Tuesday, Dec. 12 in the USA. Tech has won 25 straight non-conference home games and is 83-2 in those games since the start of the 2013-14 season. The Islanders continue their season by playing at the Northern Kentucky Thanksgiving Tournament next week with games against NKU and LIU in Highland Heights, Kentucky.
"We went into the game knowing Corpus played really hard and I felt like they did," Tech coach Grant McCasland said. "They got into foul trouble and had to go deep into their bench, but man did they compete and when we talked to people that had played against them, whether it be scrimmage or a live game, everyone complimented just how hard they played, and I thought that really caused us problems with their defensive intensity. Obviously playing at home makes a big difference. There was an energy in the building, and we got a few baskets in transition. But we didn't play very well, and I've got to do a better job of helping us play better." Â
Texas Tech (3-0) is now set to play three games at Battle 4 Atlantis next week, starting against No. 21 Villanova on Wednesday in the opening round of the three-game event in the Bahamas before playing at Butler on November 30 in Indianapolis. Tech last played against Villanova in the 2018 NCAA Elite 8 with the Wildcats advancing and going on to win the National Championship. The game next week will be broadcast on ESPN.Â
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The Red Raiders are now limiting opponents to only 50.4 points through three games with Corpus being the first to break the 50-point mark against them. Tech had started the season by holding its first two opponents under 50 for the first time since the 1951-52 season. The Islanders (2-2), which were a 2023 NCAA Tournament team, was held to 40.6 percent shooting and were out-rebounded by a 40-33 margin in the game. The Red Raiders were 20-for-27 at the free-throw line and scored 34 of their 73 points in the paint. The Red Raiders finished the night 24-for-54 (44.4 percent) from the field but were only 5-for-24 on 3-pointers. Corpus finished the game 7-for-17 on 3-pointers.
Warren Washington added 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while Joe Toussaint had 14 points and three steals. Pop Isaacs scored eight and led the team with four assists in a game where Tech had 12 assists on 24 made shots. Isaacs leads Tech with 11.7 points per game this season and along with averaging a team-high 3.3 assists per game. Washington is averaging 9.7 points and 8.3 rebounds for the season. He's now scored in double-figures 45 times in his career which is the most on the Tech roster.Â
McMillian, who transferred after three seasons at Grand Canyon, scored a season-high 17 points after going 7-for-12 from the field with three 3-pointers. He scored a career-high 24 while at GCU but had been held to single digits in the first two games of the season. McMillian played 25 minutes as a reserve where he also had two blocks and hit a 3-pointer for a 49-40 lead and another for a 69-60 lead.
"I stayed confident," McMillian said. "My teammates told me they believed in me and to stay confident in shooting the ball. That came in big tonight, so I appreciate my teammates and my coaches."
McMillian is the third leading scorer for Tech in three games after Pop Isaacs led the team in the opener against Texas A&M-Commerce and Devan Cambridge against San Jose State. McMillian has now scored in double-figures in 31 games, while Williams has two double-doubles and 12 games with double-figure rebounding. "It was a collective thing," he said. "Everybody else boxed out and let me get the rebound, so I can't take all the credit. It was more of a team thing." Williams had 11 games at Nevada last season as a freshman with double-figure rebounding but only one double-double coming against New Mexico where he had his previous high of 13 rebounds. Toussaint has now scored in double figures in all three games this season and is averaging 11.3 points per game.
Cambridge finished with four points and four rebounds, while Lamar Washington had seven points, three rebounds, and two assists. Ten players entered the game and seven scored.Â
Corpus Christi came into the game averaging 88.3 ppg. and with its only loss being against No. 7 Houston. Dian Wright-Forde led the Islanders with 16 points off the bench while Owen Dease had 14.
Tech took a 41-31 lead into halftime with Warren Washington leading the team with nine points and seven rebounds, while Darrion Williams had eight points and five rebounds. The Red Raiders trailed by as many as six in the first half, being down 8-2 to start the game before going into the break with the 10-point lead. Tech had a 23-13 rebounding advantage to overcome a half that saw them shoot 2-for-17 on 3-pointers. Isaacs had seven points and a team-high three assists and McMillian and Washington had five points each to lead the reserves. McMillian hit Tech's first 3-pointer of the game, snapping a 0-for-9 and giving Tech a 16-15 lead. The Red Raiders were 11-for-15 on free throws and dominated inside with a 22-12 scoring advantage in the paint.
The Red Raiders will return from their trips to the Bahamas and Indianapolis for a pair of home games, starting against Omaha on Wednesday, December 6 and then Oral Roberts on Tuesday, Dec. 12 in the USA. Tech has won 25 straight non-conference home games and is 83-2 in those games since the start of the 2013-14 season. The Islanders continue their season by playing at the Northern Kentucky Thanksgiving Tournament next week with games against NKU and LIU in Highland Heights, Kentucky.
ÂThree games, three dubs ??
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) November 17, 2023
?? Highlights from our win over TAMUCC#TTW | @Gatorade pic.twitter.com/r3SVNhQ9CQ
Team Stats
TA&MCC
TTU
FG%
.406
.444
3FG%
.412
.208
FT%
.556
.741
RB
33
40
TO
17
17
STL
11
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
10
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Players Mentioned
F
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