NCAA News Wire
Kansas 82, Texas Tech 57
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Texas Tech became the latest Big 12 team with the misfortune of getting scheduled for Senior Night at Kansas.
The Jayhawks extended their string of consecutive Senior Night victories to 30 by drilling the Red Raiders 82-57 Wednesday in Allen Fieldhouse.
No. 8 Kansas, which clinched the Big 12 title outright before the final week of the regular season, climbed to 23-7 overall, 14-3 in the conference. The win came after the Jayhawks’ four-game winning streak was snapped Saturday at Oklahoma State.
Center Tarik Black was honored on Senior Night after spending the previous three seasons at Memphis before joining Kansas as a graduate transfer. By going 9-for-9, Black tied a Kansas record for most field goals made without a miss. He finished with 19 points and six rebounds.
Kansas point guard Naadir Tharpe and forward Perry Ellis added 16 and 13 points, respectively. Although both players usually start for the Jayhawks, they came off the bench against Texas Tech to allow a pair of seldom-used seniors to start.
After grabbing a 20-point halftime bulge, the Jayhawks put the game away with a 24-8 blitz to begin the second half, including 10 unanswered points. Tharpe canned two 3-pointers as part of eight quick points he scored.
In addition to the Kansas seniors, celebrated freshman Andrew Wiggins probably made his final home appearance as a Jayhawk. The 6-foot-8 wing scored nine points on 3-for-6 shooting and added four rebounds and two assists.
Kansas coach Bill Self substituted liberally throughout the second half. The Jayhawks’ reserves contributed 49 points.
Guard Toddrick Gotcher was the only Red Raider to score in double figures, finishing with 10 points. Forwards Dejan Kravic, Jaye Crockett and Jordan Tolbert added nine points apiece for Texas Tech (13-17, 5-12).
The loss was the sixth straight for the Red Raiders, who fell 64-63 at home against Kansas on Feb. 18 in a game that included nine ties and 13 lead changes.
Kansas took control with 13 unanswered first-half points. Ellis scored five points during that stretch.
The Jayhawks already led 22-13 before holding the Red Raiders scoreless over a 4:32 span on seven empty possessions.
Black led Kansas with 11 first-half points, while Ellis and Tharpe added eight points apiece.
Texas Tech shot 5-for-24 (20.8 percent) from the field in the first half. No Red Raider made more than one field goal before halftime, and the Tech starters were 5-for-15. Black, meanwhile, was 5-for-5 from the floor.
NOTES: C Tarik Black, F Justin Wesley and G Nico Roberts, three Kansas seniors, started in their final home game. Black will remain in the lineup Saturday at West Virginia in place of C Joel Embiid, who is sitting out the last two regular-season games to heal a strained lower back. … San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh was at Kansas’ shootaround on Wednesday, then attended the game. Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy also attended the game. … Kansas improved to 14-0 against Texas Tech in Lawrence. … The victory was the 113th in a row for the Jayhawks at home against unranked opponents. … Texas Tech, which owns five Big 12 wins for the first time since 2010-11, stands 3-13 against RPI top 50 teams and 10-4 against other opponents.
