Big deficit too much for Texas Tech basketball to overcome vs. No. 10 Iowa State: 3 takeaways
The Texas Tech basketball team got roughed up on Saturday and suffered an 82-74 loss to No. 10 Iowa State in Hilton Coliseum.
The Red Raiders (18-7, 7-5) were undone by turnovers and the Cyclones' (20-5, 9-3) ability to score at the other end of those giveaways. Tech improved offensively in the second half, but couldn't dig out of what was a 21-point deficit.
Here's what stood out in the game.
Flush that first half down the toilet
To put it mildly, the first half was not the best 20 minutes of basketball for Texas Tech.
In the first 20 points, the Red Raiders went 1-for-10 from 3-point range, had 10 turnovers that led to 20 Iowa State points and gave up nine offensive rebounds that led to another eight points for the Cyclones.
On top of that, already down Warren Washington for the game with a foot injury, KyeRon Lindsay tweaked his ankle late in the first half and exited the game. Lindsay had a solid showing in his time on the floor, putting up six points, four boards and a block in 10 minutes of action. He returned in the second half and still played well in his time on the floor.
Guards continue cold streak
Entering Saturday's game, Pop Isaacs and Chance McMillian combined to shoot 4-of-23 from 3-point range in the team's wins over UCF and Kansas. Both continued their cold shooting in the first half against the Cyclones.
At the break, Isaacs was 0-for-6 from the field and 0-for-4 from 3 while McMillian was 2-for-5, his three misses coming from beyond the arc.
Too little, too late
As they always do, the Red Raiders kept the pressure on the Cyclones and found some rhythm on the offensive end in the second half. They trimmed the lead to eight points with 51.6 seconds left after being down by 21 earlier in the frame.
It was an big improvement over the final 11 minutes or so, but getting into a big hole on the road was too much to overcome down the stretch.
What's next?
The Red Raiders return home on Tuesday for a return game against TCU at 8 p.m. The Horned Frogs got the win in Fort Worth 85-78 on Jan. 30.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Big deficit too much for Texas Tech basketball to overcome vs. No. 10 Iowa State
