EditorsNote: 6th graf, add Texas Tech's record
Desmond Bane poured in 27 points, including six 3-pointers, as host TCU owned the second half on the way to a 65-54 victory over 18th-ranked Texas Tech on Tuesday in Big 12 Conference play in Fort Worth, Texas.
The two teams entered the game with identical overall and conference records, but Texas Tech was the team on the roll, winning two straight, while the Horned Frogs had suffered blowout losses in their previous two outings. But a rousing second-half performance by TCU flipped that script.
The Horned Frogs (13-5, 4-2 in Big 12) trailed by four points after a closely contested first 20 minutes but assumed control right after halftime and eventually ran their lead to 55-40 on a layup by Bane with 7:42 remaining.
Texas Tech cut the lead to 55-48 on an 8-0 run that ended at the 4:40 mark but two free throws by the Horned Frogs' Francisco Farabello stopped the bleeding. The Red Raiders never got closer than seven points the rest of the way.
Kevin Samuel added 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Horned Frogs, who outshot Texas Tech 54.2 percent to 43.5 percent in the second half.
Jahmi'us Ramsey paced Texas Tech (12-6, 3-3) with 15 points, while Terrence Shannon Jr. and TJ Holyfield added 10 points each.
The Red Raiders led 31-27 at halftime and the game was as close as the score, thanks to stellar defense from both teams. Texas Tech shot 42.9 percent in the half to the Horned Frogs' 40 percent, and held just a 17-16 edge on the glass.
Bane led all scorers with 14 first-half points, with Davide Moretti pacing Texas Tech with eight points.
The Horned Frogs roared to the front early in the second half on the strength of a 13-2 run over the first four minutes, keyed by seven points by Bane. TCU stretched its lead to 45-36 on a three-point play by PJ Fuller with 12:56 to play as Texas Tech went more than three minutes without a field goal.
--Field Level Media
