Texas downs Texas Tech in Big 12 Tournament, to meet Iowa State
Texas used the three-pointer to pull away from Texas Tech 65-53 in the opening round of the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday at the Sprint Center.
Not the deep shots, the old-fashioned kind of three-pointer.
Over a five-minute stretch early in the second half, Texas scored 12 points on four and-ones.
Cameron Ridley got the first two, powering inside. Myles Turner, the Big 12 freshman of the year, was hacked on a jump shot, and the fourth three-point play was the most unique of all.
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Ridley ended up with the ball, sitting on the floor on the baseline near his team’s bench, when he spotted Kendal Yancy breaking to the bucket. Ridley’s pass led to a layup, foul and free throw, and the Texas lead had stretched to 14.
The seventh-seeded Longhorns, 20-12, will meet second-seeded Iowa State in Thursday’s quarterfinals at 6 p.m.
The Cyclones swept the season series from Texas, winning 89-86 in Ames on Jan. 26 and 85-77 in Austin on Feb. 21.
Texas arrived in Kansas City looking to build credentials for the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns have an RPI in the mid-40s, usually a good indication for at-large inclusion.
A loss on Wednesday would have damaged their hopes.
But Texas jumped to a 30-26 halftime lead and settled the issue in the first few minutes of the second half.
The Longhorns were strong as usual inside. They won the board battle 39-24 and blocked six shots. Ridley led the way with 14 points and eight rebounds. Yancy added 13 and Isaiah Taylor 12.
The 10th-seeded Red Raiders finished 13-19 in coach Tubby Smith’s second season. Tech came into the game playing some of the best ball of the season, with a victory over Oklahoma State and a three-point loss to Baylor in the final week.
But the Red Raiders couldn’t keep up with Texas, especially in the paint, in the second half.
Toddrick Gotcher led Tech with 12 but had only two in the second half.
To reach Blair Kerkhoff, call 816-234-4730 or send email to bkerkhoff@kcstar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @BlairKerkhoff.
This story was originally published March 11, 2015 at 10:44 PM with the headline "Texas downs Texas Tech in Big 12 Tournament, to meet Iowa State."