The Red Raiders ended the game on a 14-4 run to remain unbeaten at home

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech used a 14-4 game-ending run, including a game-deciding 3-point play from senior Joe Toussaint with 30 seconds to play, to continue its home winning streak over Kansas State with a 60-59 victory on Saturday before 14,856 fans at the United Supermarkets Arena.

Leading 55-46 with 4:37 to play, K-State (12-4, 2-1 Big 12) saw its chances of ending a 9-game losing streak at United Supermarkets Arena fall painstakingly short, as Texas Tech (14-2, 3-0 Big 12) scored 11 of the last 13 points to complete the rally from a 12-point second half deficit.

With the win, the Red Raiders extended their Big 12-best winning streak to 9 games, while moving to a perfect 10-0 at home this season. The loss snapped the Wildcats’ 4-game winning streak and 2-0 start to Big 12 play. K-State’s last win in Lubbock came in a 60-56 victory on Feb. 25, 2014.

Texas Tech scored 8 straight points during the game-ending run to tie the game at 57-all after a pair of free throws from sophomore Darrion Williams with 1:37 to play. Senior Tylor Perry gave K-State its last lead at 59-57 with 41 seconds remaining before Toussaint converted on a layup and the game-winning free throw with 30 seconds to play.

K-State had one last chance with 17 seconds to play, but Perry’s jumper came up short at the buzzer.

Perry led all players with 16 points, while juniors Cam Carter and Arthur Kaluma gave the Wildcats’ three double-digit scorers with 15 and 10 points, respectively. McNair Jr. nearly registered a double-double with 9 points and a game-high 9 rebounds while collecting a career-best 5 blocks.

Toussaint led the Red Raiders with 12 points, including 7 in the second half, while senior Warren Washington totaled a near double-double with 11 points and 8 rebounds. Williams and sophomore Pop Isaacs each added 10 points.

The Wildcats overcame a sloppy start to the game, in which, the team had as many points (10) as turnovers (10) in the first 12 minutes in trailing by 9 points. However, a 3-point play from senior Will McNair Jr. ignited a 23-3 run to end the half, including a stretch of 20 straight, to take a 33-22 lead at the break. During the run, the Wildcats knocked down 6 3-pointers, including 4 from Perry.

K-State held the lead for much of the second half, thwarting several Texas Tech rallies before the final run. The Red Raiders cut the deficit to 46-44 at the 8-minute mark, but the Wildcats responded with 9 of the next 11 points to push ahead 55-46 with 4:37 remaining. They led 57-49 after a layup by redshirt freshman Dorian Finister with 3:21 to play before the late 8-0 run by the home team.

K-State connected on 44 percent (22-of-50) shooting from the field, including 43.5 percent (10-of-23) from 3-point range. Despite knocking down 10 3-pointers, the Wildcats were held to a season-low 18 points in the paint. The team entered the game averaging 34.8 points per game in the paint.

Texas Tech was held to just 36.4 percent (20-of-55) shooting, including 20 percent (5-of-25) from long range. However, the Red Raiders were able to grab 14 offensive rebounds and convert those into a 14-5 advantage in second-chance points. They were also excellent from the free throw line, knocking down 15-of-18 attempts, including a perfect effort by Isaacs (5-of-5) and Toussaint (3-of-3).

K-State still holds a narrow 26-25 record in the all-time series, but Texas Tech has a 22-19 advantage in the Big 12 era, including a 16-4 at home.

The game was the first meeting for head coaches Jerome Tang and Grant McCasland, who spent 5 seasons together on Scott Drew’s coaching staff at Baylor from 2011-16. In addition, Perry played 2 seasons (2021-23) for McCasland at North Texas.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Junior Cam Carter opened the scoring with a layup, but Texas Tech responded with 6 in a row before the first media timeout then 8 of the next 11 points to force head coach Jerome Tang to call his first timeout with the Red Raiders leading 14-5 at the 13:10 mark.

Turnovers plagued the Wildcats in the early going, as they had as many points (10) and turnovers (10) in the early going, as the Red Raiders extended their lead to 19-10 with 7:40 to play in the half.

A 3-point play by senior Will McNair Jr. seemed to spark K-State, as the team used a 15-3 run to take their first lead at 25-22 and force a timeout by Tech head coach Grant McCasland with 3:50 remaining. The Wildcats got 4 consecutive 3-pointers, including 3 in a row by senior Tylor Perry, during the run.

Perry continued his hot shooting out of the timeout with a fourth triple followed by a pullup jumper by junior Arthur Kaluma to extend the run to 20-3 and the lead to 30-22. An eighth 3-pointer, this time by Carter on a scramble, made it 33-22 at the half. The Red Raiders did not score in the final 7:10.

The Wildcats shot 52.2 percent (12-of-23) in the first half, including 61.5 percent (8-of-13) from 3-point range, while holding the Red Raiders to 28 percent (7-of-25) from the field, including 23.1 percent (3-of-13) from long range. Perry (12 points) and Carter (10 points) combined for 22 points.

The teams traded baskets the early going of the second half, including the season’s first 3-pointer by senior David N’Guessan, but Texas Tech got going offensively, scoring 7 in a row, to close the gap to 38-33 and force a timeout by Tang with 16:25 remaining.

After the Red Raiders closed to within a possession at 38-35, the Wildcats responded with a big reverse layup by Kaluma followed by a driving layup by redshirt freshman Dorian Finister and a turnaround jumper by N’Guessan to push ahead 44-37 at the third media timeout with 10:54 to play.

Texas Tech continued to chip away at the deficit, twice closing to within 2 points, before Carter knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of key to push K-State ahead 49-44 with 7:38 remaining. The Red Raiders got a pair of free throws to once again get within a possession, but the Wildcats scored 6 straight points, including 4 in a row from McNair Jr., to push ahead 55-46 with 4:37 to play.

A 3-pointer by Darrion Williams on a scramble play on the next possession cut the deficit to 55-49 and keyed the Red Raiders’ game-ending 14-4 run. The Wildcats were able to push ahead 57-49 on a bucket by Finister with 3:21 to play but it was the last points until Perry knocked down a pair of free throws for a 59-57 lead with 41 seconds left. On the next possession, Toussaint was fouled by Carter on a layup before making the subsequent free throw for the 60-59 lead with 30 seconds left.

K-State had one last chance with 17 seconds left, but Perry’s jumper was off the mark at the buzzer.

HEAD COACH JEROME TANG
On the game…
“It was a great Big 12 environment tonight. It just didn’t end the way we wanted it to.”

On the last play…
“We were trying to create some confusion on the slip, get TP (Tylor Perry) going downhill, it was a one-point game, so we figured we’d have a chance for him to make a shot. He’s made big shots all year long. We also thought he might get a foul and go the free throw line, but that’s probably not very smart on my part, as we only attempted 7 free throws all game. I need to do a better job next time.”

On what Texas Tech was able to do to get back into the game…
“They were tougher than us. They got to the paint, they got to the free throw line, and they got second-chance shots. That’s the recipe for winning a close game in the last five minutes and that’s something we pride ourselves on and they did it better than us tonight.”

On the most frustrating part of the last five minutes…
“I’m gonna have to go back and look at it. I liked our fight. I felt like we were right there fighting, but just weren’t able to finish it off and sometimes that’s what happens in our league.”

TEAM NOTES

• K-State (12-3, 2-1 Big 12) dropped its first Big 12 game with a 60-59 loss at Texas Tech.
• A 14-4 run lifted the Red Raiders to victory from a 55-46 deficit with 4:37 to play.
• K-State has now lost 10 straight at the United Supermarkets Arena.
• K-State still holds a 26-25 advantage in the all-time series with Texas Tech, while the Red Raiders are 22-19 in the Big 12 era, including 16-4 at home.
• K-State scored its 59 points on 44 percent (22-of-50) shooting, including 43.5 percent (10-of-23) from 3-point range, and 71.4 percent (5-of-7) from the free throw line.
• K-State scored a season-low 18 points in the paint, as Texas Tech held a 28-18 edge.
• K-State turned the ball over 18 times compared to just 9 for Texas Tech, but the Red Raiders held just 12-10 advantage in points off turnovers.
• K-State held a 34-31 advantage in rebounding, as the Wildcats have now won the rebounding battle in 12 of 16 games this season.
• Second-chance points also proved to be big, as Texas Tech held a 14-5 advantage.
• K-State started a lineup of senior Tylor Perry, junior Cam Carter, junior Arthur Kaluma and senior David N’Guessan and senior Will McNair Jr. … It marked the 12th time using this lineup… Carter has now started all 52 games in his K-State career… Carter, N’Guessan and Perry have started all 16 games… Kaluma and McNair earned their 14th starts, respectively.

PLAYER NOTES

• Three Wildcats scored in double figures left by senior Tylor Perry’s game-high 16 points.
• Perry was joined in double figures by juniors Cam Carter (15 points) and Arthur Kaluma (10 points)… Senior Will McNair Jr., narrowly missed double figures with 9 points.
• Perry has now led the team in scoring in 8 games this season.
• Perry scored his 16 points on 5-of-15 field goals, including 4-of-11 from 3-point range, and 2-of-2 free throws to go with a game-high 4 assists and 2 rebounds in 37 minutes… He has now scored in double figures in 70 career games, including 13 times this season.
• Carter scored his 15 points on 6-of-11 field goals, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, to go with 4 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal in 38 minutes… He has now scored in double figures in 24 career games, including a team-best 14 times this season.
• Kaluma scored his 10 points on 4-of-10 field goals, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, to go with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal in 36 minutes… He has now scored in double figures in 53 career games, including 13 this season.
• McNair narrowly missed a double-double with 9 points on 3-of-6 field goals and 3-of-5 free throws to go with a game-high 9 rebounds and 5 blocked shots in 32 minutes… The 5 blocked shots represented a career-best for McNair.

UP NEXT
K-State begins a 2-game homestand on Tuesday night, as the Wildcats play host to No. 14/14 Baylor (14-2, 3-0 Big 12) at 7 p.m., CT on Big 12 Now. Tickets are still available at kstatesports.com/tickets.