Rice Owls vs Texas Tech Red Raiders Box Score on Dec 16, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Dec 16, 2017

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Texas Tech flexed its defensive muscles and fought off Rice 73-53 on Saturday night at Lubbock Municipal Coliseum.

The No. 24 Red Raiders forced 26 Rice turnovers and turned them into 34 points on the other end.

Guard Keenan Evans scored 13 points to lead Texas Tech (9-1). Forward Zhaire Smith added 12, and forward Zach Smith and guard Niem Stevenson each finished with 10.

Guard Connor Cashaw led Rice with 21, but he was the only player to score in double figures for the Owls (3-8).

The Red Raiders gained some separation midway through the second half with a 16-2 run capped by an Evans dunk on an assist from Jarrett Culver for a 47-37 lead with 12:27 left.

Rice cut Texas Tech's lead to seven when forward Malik Osborne hit a pair of free throws with 8:16 left.

Texas Tech responded immediately with a 13-4 run, highlighted by an Evans pass off the backboard to Zhaire Smith for a dunk to put the Red Raiders ahead by 16.

The Owls hit three of their first four shots from 3-point range to grab an early 9-4 lead.

Rice then surged ahead 21-13 when guard Najja Hunter went into the lane for a layup at the 11:01 mark.

Texas Tech's defense clamped down after that and held the Owls without a field goal for the rest of the half.

The Red Raiders shot just 36 percent from the field in the first half, but their defense helped them put together a 14-1 run. Texas Tech claimed a five-point lead, its largest of the first 20 minutes, when Evans hit a 3-pointer with 3:57 left before the break.

However, Rice held the Red Raiders to two points the rest of the half and the Owls hit four free throws to keep Texas Tech's lead to 29-25 at halftime.

Cashaw scored 11 points in the first 20 minutes and was the only player on either team in double figures at the break. Guard Davide Moretti came off the bench to lead Texas Tech with eight points at halftime.

NOTES: Texas Tech hosted the game at Lubbock Municipal Coliseum, the program's home from 1956-1999. The Red Raiders moved into their current venue, the United Supermarkets Arena, at the start of the 1999-2000 season. ... Rice owns just one win against a Division I opponent this season, having defeated Northwestern State 87-65 on Nov. 17. Rice also won games against NAIA St. Thomas and NCAA Division II St. Edward's. ... Texas Tech was playing its second of three straight games against opponents with Owl mascots. The Red Raiders defeated the Kennesaw State Owls 82-53 on Wednesday and will play the Florida Atlantic Owls on Tuesday.