Darrion Williams led a balanced attack by scoring 19 points with nine assists to help lift Texas Tech to a 93-65 road win over Utah on Saturday in Salt Lake City.
Five other players scored in double figures for the Red Raiders (10-3, 1-1 Big 12), who picked up their first conference win of the season after a tough home loss against UCF.
Federiko Federiko had 14 points, Christian Anderson scored 13, Elijah Hawkins totaled 12 points and eight assists, JT Toppin tossed in 11 points, and Chance McMillan netted 10 points in the blowout win.
Utah (8-5, 0-2) struggled in a second straight loss in its new conference.
The Utes shot only 42.3% from the field and didn’t have a starter reach double figures. Reserves Zach Keller (12 points), Keanu Dawes (11) and Jake Wahlin (10) paced Utah’s scoring.
Gabe Madsen, the team’s leading scorer, encapsulated Utah’s offensive woes. He missed all six field-goal attempts and only scored four points after a rough three-point performance in the conference-opening loss at Baylor.
Mason Madsen, Gabe’s twin brother, missed his only field goal attempt and was held scoreless. He was the only Ute starter to hit double figures in the first league loss to the Bears.
Utah made only 6 of 23 3-pointers, with Texas Tech going 12-for-26 beyond the arc.
Texas Tech shot 58.6 percent, scored 47 first-half points and held the Utes to 29 points in the second half.
The Utes held a one-point lead after Miro Little drained a 3-pointer with 6:34 remaining in the first half.
Texas Tech responded with eight straight points, including 3s from McMillian and Hawkins and a layup by Toppin.
The Red Raiders jumped out to a 10-point lead, 17-7, before Wahlin helped Utah get back into it and tie it up at 27-27 with a couple of 3-pointers.
Texas Tech used a 9-2 spurt to take a 64-46 lead midway through the second half, and then poured it on down the stretch.
–Field Level Media
