Box Score (PDF)
LUBBOCK, Texas – The Eastern Kentucky University men's basketball ran out to an early 15-point lead on host Texas Tech, but the Red Raiders pulled away late in the game for a 90-71 victory over the Colonels on Saturday at United Supermarkets Arena.
EKU (1-3) came out of the gates hot, connecting on seven of their first nine three-point attempts and grabbing an emphatic 27-12 lead when freshman guard
Asante Gist drained a triple with 12:57 to play in the first half.
Texas Tech (3-0) responded with a 15-0 run to tie it, but EKU took the lead again when junior forward
Zach Charles scored in the paint to make it 29-27 with 7:36 on the clock.
EKU led, 38-36, with just over two minutes to play in the half, but TTU closed the half on a 10-3 run and a layup by Justin Gray just before the buzzer sent the Red Raiders into halftime with a 46-41 advantage.
Eastern was not finished, though. The Colonels stormed back to tie it, 57-57, on a jumper in the lane by sophomore
Nick Mayo with 12:57 to play. After a turnover on the other end, EKU had a chance to take the lead, but a jumper by Gist missed.
The Colonels then went nearly six minutes without scoring, and the Red Raiders turned that drought into a 71-57 lead with 7:55 on the clock.
Tech led by double digits the rest of the way.
Gist led all players in the game with 21 points. He also added three assists and had only one turnover. EKU, as a team, committed only 10 turnovers in a tough road environment.
Three other Colonels reached double figures in the game. Senior
Jaylen Babb-Harrison finished with 14 points and five rebounds. Charles – a Texas native – had 13 points and a team-best seven rebounds. Mayo contributed 13 points.
Eastern went 17-of-19 (90 percent) from the free throw line.
Shadell Millinghaus led Texas Tech with 20 points, while Aaron Ross notched a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) in the win.
EKU will now fly to Mexico for the Cancun portion of the 2016 Cancun Challenge. The Colonels will face Idaho State on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.
