Freshman Christian Anderson established season highs of 21 points and five 3-pointers in his first career start to help No. 9 Texas Tech notch a 73-51 victory over West Virginia on Saturday afternoon in Big 12 play at Lubbock, Texas.
JT Toppin recorded 22 points and eight rebounds to pace the Red Raiders (21-6, 12-4 Big 12), who improved to 14-2 at home. Elijah Hawkins and Kevin Overton added 10 points apiece for Texas Tech.
Anderson started in place of Chance McMillian (right ankle). McMillian, who averages 15.1 points per game, was sporting a boot.
Amani Hansberry had 14 points and 11 rebounds for his second straight double-double for West Virginia (16-11, 7-9). Mountaineers leading scorer Javon Small had just 10 points on 3-of-14 shooting while playing through an ankle injury.
The Red Raiders shot 46.4 percent from the field — including 62.5 percent in the second half. Texas Tech was a torrid 7-of-11 in the second half from 3-point range to finish 9-of-22.
West Virginia made 32.8 percent of its shots and was 6-of-27 from behind the arc.
The Red Raiders held a 41-31 rebounding margin.
Texas Tech trailed for nearly 16 1/2 minutes of the first half but finished strong to hold a 30-27 halftime lead.
The momentum carried into the second half as Darrion Williams scored the final six points of an 8-0 burst to help the Red Raiders open up a 38-29 lead.
Anderson’s 3-pointer gave Texas Tech a 45-34 advantage with 12:41 left in the game.
A trey by Hawkins pushed the lead to 50-36 with 10:46 to play. Anderson drilled another 3-pointer to make it 55-39 with 6:42 left, and he knocked down another one to make it 60-41 with 5:27 remaining.
Anderson drained another trey to make it 65-46 with 3:06 left. The lead topped out at 24 points.
West Virginia started strong and led 24-15 after a 3-pointer by Hansberry with 5:25 left in the first half.
Hansberry buried another trey 76 seconds later before the Mountaineers went scoreless the rest of the half. Hansberry had 12 points and nine rebounds in the opening period.
Overton scored six points and Toppin had four during a half-ending 10-0 burst as the Red Raiders led by three at the break.
–Field Level Media
