Texas Tech Athletics
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Arkansas - Pine Bluff
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Tech tames Golden Lions to close homestand
November 18, 2024 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK – Elijah Hawkins and JT Toppin both recorded double-doubles to help lead Texas Tech to a 98-64 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and extend a 34-game non-conference home winning streak on Monday at United Supermarkets Arena.
The Red Raiders (4-0) closed out a four-game homestand to start the season with 30 assists in a game where they never trailed and had six players score in double figures. Hawkins led the way with 11 assists, 10 points and five steals, while Toppin went for his second straight double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Darrion Williams scored a team-high 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the field, Kevin Overton added 17 points and Chance McMillian scored 11 and matched a career-high with six assists. Tech went for 30-plus assists as a team for the eighth time in program history and its most since having 32 against Tennessee State in 2019. Williams and Christian Anderson had four assists each, while Hawkins notched his 11th career double-double. Â
"I felt good," Hawkins said. "I have great guys around me. Me being quick and fast and having the vision, my teammates know how to run the floor and they know I'm going to find them. We just had to slow down and not take the first shot we saw. We had to pass up good shots to get great shots, and we talked about that at halftime. Then we just came out and executed."
Tech has now won all four of its games by 20 or more points, including the 47-point win last week against Wyoming before the 34-point margin over the Golden Lions (1-5) to take its season scoring margin to 33.8. The Red Raiders finished the game with 15 turnovers and forced 23 from UAPB. Hawkins' five steals were two shy of the single-game program record while Anderson added three steals and eight points. Devan Cambridge came off the bench to provide 10 points and five rebounds for the Red Raiders who owned a 31-22 rebounding advantage and a scoring margin of 44-28 inside the paint.
Kerwin Walton scored nine points with three 3-pointers on a night where Tech finished the game 14-for-35 (40.0 percent) from beyond the arc. McMillian and Overton both also had three 3-pointers, while Williams and Anderson were both 2-for-4 from range. The Red Raiders are now shooting 45.1 percent on 3-pointers for the season and 58.0 percent from the field. Toppin finished the game 7-for-10 from the field and is now leading the team with 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game following his 14th career double-double.
"We're still trying to put stuff together defensively," McMillian said. "We're making good progress right now and each game is getting better. That's our main focus is just guarding the ball."Â
Tech took a 47-28 lead into halftime with Williams leading the way with 14 points and Toppin adding eight points and seven rebounds through 20 minutes. Anderson made two 3-pointers and had six points at the break and McMillian and Hawkins contributed five points and four assists each. The Red Raiders built out an early 11-2 lead with Anderson hitting his 3s and Williams driving in for a layup before the Golden Lions cut into the lead. Tech was back up by double digits though at 25-15 after a pair of Williams baskets, a 3-pointer to beat a shot-clock violation and then a fastbreak layup. McMillian made his only 3-pointer of the half to give Tech a 40-26 lead and an Overton 3 pushed the lead to 45-28. The Red Raiders finished the first half shooting 6-for-19 (31.6 percent) on 3-pointers and were at 18-for-34 overall from the field. UAPB was only 1-for-7 on 3-pointers in the half that saw it also commit 12 first-half turnovers to only three from Tech. The Red Raiders had 13 assists on their 18 baskets in the first half to stake out the 19-point advantage.
Texas Tech returns to action with two games this week at the Legends Classic in Brooklyn, New York. The Red Raiders open the event against Saint Joseph's at 9 p.m. (EST) on Thursday before playing either Texas or Syracuse on Friday at the Barclays Center. The next round of home games are set for Friday, November 29 against Northern Colorado and versus DePaul on December 4 in the Big 12-Big East Battle at United Supermarkets Arena.
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