Pop Isaacs scored 22 points as No. 25 Texas Tech recorded an 81-67 win over No. 20 BYU on Thursday in a Big 12 quarterfinal game in Kansas City, Mo.
Chance McMillian added 17 points off the bench for the Red Raiders (23-9), who face No. 1-ranked Houston in the semifinals on Friday. Houston beat TCU 60-45 on Thursday.
Jaxson Robinson sank four 3-pointers and finished with 18 points for BYU (23-10).
After trailing by double digits most of the day, the Cougars made a late lunge with a 15-0 run that trimmed the Red Raider advantage to 62-55. But Texas Tech responded with a 3-pointer from both Joe Toussaint and Darrion Williams in a 45-second burst and pulled back away.
Those were the Red Raiders’ first two makes from beyond the arc in the second half after they knocked down 7-of-11 in the opening 20 minutes.
Sparked by Isaacs and Kerwin Walton, Texas Tech bolted in front 9-0 in the opening minutes, stretched the lead to 14-2 and built a 42-23 lead by halftime.
As good as Texas Tech played to take control, BYU didn’t offer much resistance because an abysmal offensive day for one of the best shooting teams in the country.
A day after drilling 14 3-pointers in a victory against UCF, the Cougars never found a rhythm. They shot 21.2 percent in the first half (7 of 33) with more missed shots than points and were 3-of-18 from beyond the arc.
BYU finished the day shooting 37 percent from the floor (25 of 67) and 20 percent from beyond the arc (7 of 35).
Meanwhile, the Red Raiders rattled and hummed on offense despite Williams being hobbled by an ankle injury for most of the game after he twisted an ankle. Williams finished with seven points, bolstered by the timely trey.
–Field Level Media
