LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - Baylor coach Scott Drew watched his team get outplayed by Texas Tech.
“I want to credit Texas Tech for coming out and really executing well, playing well, putting us on our heels and just dominating us for 20 minutes,” he said. “I thought for 10 minutes we played like we’re capable of playing, but first half I don’t think we had anything go right. I don’t think they had much go wrong.”
Jaye Crockett had 19 points, Toddrick Gotcher added 17 for Texas Tech in its first Big 12 win of the season with the 82-72 victory over the No. 12 Bears on Wednesday night.
Baylor’s appetite for a win wasn’t strong enough to overcome a Texas Tech team eager for its first Big 12 win of the season.
“We just felt like they (were) hungrier than us,” said Kenny Chery, who was 8 of 15 from the field in the loss. “We didn’t come out with the composure to win the basketball game and they came out like it was the last game of their life.”
And the Red Raiders got help from their fans.
“”I thought this crowd really gave a lot of energy,” Drew said. “That’s the best crowd I’ve seen here in a couple of years.”
Dejan Kravic and Robert Turner scored 14 apiece for the Red Raiders (9-8, 1-3), who ended a four-game slide against Baylor in Lubbock with their first victory over a ranked opponent in 35 games.
Texas Tech led all the way and was able to hold off a late comeback attempt by the Bears (13-3, 1-2) after they pulled to 76-66 on a 3-pointer by Taurean Prince with 2:02 left. That was the closest Baylor had been since late in the first half, but it got no closer down the stretch.
Chery scored 22 points and Prince had 13 for the Bears. They finished with only six assists, a season low for a team averaging 16.3.
All five Red Raiders starters scored in double figures. Crockett matched the 19 points he scored in a loss at Texas last weekend.
Texas Tech kept Baylor’s top scorers in check for much of the night. Cory Jefferson, the Bears’ leading scorer (13.5 points per game), had just eight and center Isaiah Austin was well below his 10.7 average with four.
The Bears climbed back into the game on a 15-5 run to pull within 65-54. Prince hit two 3s, Rico Gathers had a dunk, Chery hit two jumpers and Royce O’Neale got a field goal.
The Red Raiders simply had more energy and Baylor looked lethargic until late in the game. And the Red Raiders shot well. Texas Tech made 57 percent of its 49 shots to 41 percent for Baylor, which took 63 from the field.
After hitting on all 21 of their free throws in their win at TCU on Saturday, the Bears made only 16 of 24 from the foul line this time.
Texas Tech dominated the boards, outrebounding Baylor 35-19, and the Bears couldn’t even capitalize on Texas Tech’s errors. On nine Red Raiders turnovers, Baylor managed only two points.
The Red Raiders hit 62 percent of their shots from the field in the first half. Meanwhile, Baylor had no assists and just 12 rebounds while making only 25.9 percent of its field goals, including several chippies down low.
Texas Tech had 22 rebounds and owned the paint on offense. The Red Raiders got 24 points inside, compared to 14 for their much-taller opponents.
Texas Tech used an 11-0 run, including a dunk by Crockett, layups by Randy Onwuasor and Kravic and a jumper by Dusty Hannahs, to lead 43-22 at the break.
In two losses to Baylor last season, Texas Tech scored just 48 points in each game.
Baylor failed to make a field goal in the final 4:24 of the first half.
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