Incarnate Word Cardinals vs Texas Tech Red Raiders Box Score on Dec 29, 2020

No. 13 Texas Tech got a late-arriving Christmas gift Tuesday when it returned to the court after a week's hiatus as Kevin McCullar led the Red Raiders to a lopsided, 79-51 victory against Incarnate Word.

Out for the first nine games with an ankle injury, the third-year sophomore finished with 11 points in 12 minutes in the Red Raiders' final tune-up before resuming their Big 12 Conference season.

Marcus Santos-Silva also scored 11 points for Texas Tech (8-2), while Kyler Edwards showed signs of thawing out of a recent slump with 10 points.

Keaston Willis topped Incarnate Word with 13 points. The Cardinals (1-4) were playing for the first time since Dec. 5 after a COVID-19-prompted pause. Willis' total was seven points under his season average, and he was just 2-for-9 from the field.

The Cardinals showed signs of life in the second half and matched Texas Tech step for step. Incarnate Word shot 47.6 percent after halftime (10 of 21), including 4-for-10 from 3-point range, to get as close 62-39 with about nine minutes to play.

But the Red Raiders had seized control by halftime with a suffocating defensive performance against the noticeably rusty Cardinals.

Texas Tech pounced to a 41-19 halftime lead as Incarnate Word made only 5 of 21 floor shots (23.8%) with 12 turnovers that led to 15 Red Raider points.

By contrast, Texas Tech turned in one of its more solid offensive halves of the season, and McCullar was a major reason why.

The Red Raiders shot 45.9 percent (17 of 37) from the floor with 11 assists. Four players had at least two of those assists.

McCullar made his season debut when he entered at the 13:55 mark and Texas Tech in front 10-6. When he exited just under six minutes later, the Red Raiders were finishing up a 13-0 surge.

McCullar led Texas Tech with nine points in eight minutes in the first half.

--Field Level Media