Pop Issacs scored a career-high 24 points and Kevin Obanor added 20, as Texas Tech rallied from a double-digit deficit over the final eight minutes to beat visiting Nicholls State 78-71 on Wednesday in Lubbock, Texas.
Sixteen of Obanor’s points came in the second half.
Nicholls State was up by five points at halftime and led 60-49 after a layup by Caleb Huffman with 8:47 to play. Texas Tech (6-2) rallied, cutting its deficit to a point on a desperation 3-pointer by Obanor with 2:25 remaining.
Obanor then gave the Red Raiders the lead for the first time since the 8:13 mark of the first half with a layup with 1:51 left. Lamar Washington the canned four free throws over the final 55 seconds of the game as Texas Tech held on to win its 26th straight home game.
Texas Tech was 29 of 46 from the free throw line in the game, taking 29 more foul shots than Nicholls State. Daniel Batcho added 14 points for the Red Raiders, with Lamar Washington scoring 12, all on free throws.
Huffman led the Colonels (3-5) with 22 points before fouling out with almost five minutes remaining. Latrell Jones added 20 for Nicholls State while Micah Thomas had 11.
The Red Raiders led 10-4 after a 3-pointer by Issacs four minutes into the game and by three points when Batcho hit two free throws at the 9:36 mark. Nicholls State then reeled off a 5-0 run to take a 19-17 lead and never trailed through the rest of the half, earning a 35-28 advantage at the break after Huffman canned a 3-pointer with five seconds remaining.
Huffman was the story for the Colonels in the first half, scoring 15 points as the only player from either team to reach double figures. Nicholls State outshot the Red Raiders 42.4 percent to 36.4 percent over the first 20 minutes of play and forced nine Texas Tech turnovers that led to 11 points.
Batcho led the Red Raiders with eight points before the intermission. Texas Tech was 10 of 19 from the charity stripe in the half while the Colonels were 5 for 9.
–Field Level Media
