Sputtering Kansas State will try to end a three-game losing skid on Tuesday when it welcomes to Manhattan, Kan., a Texas Tech team coming off a heartbreaking loss of its own.
The Red Raiders (11-4, 2-2 Big 12) led in the second half by as many as nine points on Saturday against Iowa State, ranked second in the most recent Associated Press poll. However, Texas Tech gave up a pair of free throws with four seconds remaining in overtime to lose 85-84.
The home loss came after a pair of road Big 12 wins over Utah and BYU. Texas Tech will look to stay perfect in true road games on Tuesday.
Since losing on a late-game layup in a 63-62 decision on Jan. 4 at TCU, the Wildcats (7-8, 1-3) fell at Oklahoma State on Jan. 7, 79-66, and on Saturday in an 87-57 blowout to then-No. 12 Houston.
Despite the more lopsided final score, Kansas State coach Jerome Tang said his team’s effort was better against the Cougars than in the previous losses.
“This wasn’t an effort issue, they’re just, they’re better than we are, at maybe every position,” Tang said. “Our goal is to get there [where a team like Houston is]. … Our goal is to get where we have multiple [players like] David N’Guessan’s in the program, that are on the floor at the same time.”
The 6-foot-9 forward N’Guessan leads Kansas State in both scoring (12.7 points) and rebounding (7.7) per game.
Texas Tech counters with JT Toppin, the New Mexico transfer who recently returned to the lineup after missing a month with a knee injury. Toppin scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds against Iowa State, and heads into Kansas State averaging team-bests of 17.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
Toppin is one of four Red Raiders scoring in double figures per game, along with Darrion Williams (16.3 points), Chance McMillian (15.7) and Kevin Overton (10.0). Texas Tech also has seen significant contributions from freshman reserve Christian Anderson, who scored 13 points in the rout of Utah and 18 vs. Iowa State.
Red Raiders coach Grant McCasland was especially complimentary of Anderson’s defensive role following the game on Saturday.
“We’ve trusted him from the beginning, his ability to get in the middle of ball screens,” McCasland said of Anderson. “Christian’s really good there. He’s special-good there. … The thing I love about Christian is he doesn’t back down.”
–Field Level Media
