Sophomore guard Jarrett Culver scored 26 points Saturday as No. 14 Texas Tech glided to a 25-point halftime margin and crushed No. 12 Kansas 91-62 at Lubbock, Texas.
The Red Raiders (22-5, 10-4) remained one game behind Kansas State in the Big 12 race after six players netted multiple 3-pointers, as part of a 16-for-26 onslaught from deep.
The sharpshooting, coupled with a stingy defense that ranks among the nation's best, helped Texas Tech claim its fifth straight victory, the longest streak in the Big 12. It avenged a 79-63 loss at Kansas on Feb. 2.
Chances for a 15th consecutive Big 12 crown for the Jayhawks (20-7, 9-5) absorbed a blow, as they fell two games behind in the conference race, though they play host to Kansas State on Monday. The defeat was the worst in Big 12 play for Kansas under 16th-year coach Bill Self, topping a 25-point loss to Texas in 2006.
Junior forward Dedric Lawson, the Big 12's leading scorer, was limited to three field goals but led Kansas with 14 points. Sophomore guard Marcus Garrett came off the bench after missing the last five games with an ankle injury. He added nine points.
Senior guard Matt Mooney added 13 points for Texas Tech, while sophomore guard Davide Moretti chipped in 11. Senior center Norense Odiase grabbed 13 rebounds. The Red Raiders have averaged a 25.4-point margin during their five-game winning streak, while connecting for 58 3s during that stretch.
The Red Raiders made three straight 3-pointers before the first TV timeout to open an 18-8 lead with 14:48 left in the first half.
Culver had 11 points at the break, while Odiase had nine rebounds. Texas Tech also forced eight first-half turnovers, three off charges in the final 3 minutes.
Kansas fell to 2-7 on the road, including all of its Big 12 defeats. Texas Tech, which is 15-1 at home, won for the first time at home against Kansas since March 9, 2009.
--Field Level Media
Kansas | Texas Tech | |
Dedric Lawson 14 | Scoring | Jarrett Culver 26 |
Quentin Grimes 3 | Assists | Matt Mooney 6 |
Dedric Lawson 5 | Rebounds | Norense Odiase 13 |
Dedric Lawson 7 | Free Throws Made | Jarrett Culver 3 |
Quentin Grimes 2 | Steals | Deshawn Corprew 1 |
Ochai Agbaji 1 | Blocks | Norense Odiase 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Kansas | 62 | 45.8 | 9-21 | 9-12 | 8 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 13 |
Texas Tech | 91 | 60.7 | 16-26 | 7-13 | 19 | 27 | 2 | 5 | 8 |