LUBBOCK, Texas -- Jarrett Culver scored 13 points, Matt Mooney had 11 and No. 13 Texas Tech remained undefeated with a 65-47 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Wednesday night.
The Red Raiders (8-0) entered as the nation’s top team in field goal defense, and that trend continued in their first home game this season as a ranked team.
Martaveous McKnight scored 27 points for Pine Bluff (2-6), but was the only Lions player with more than four. The Lions shot 32.6 percent from the field (14 of 43) and their only lead came when Cameron Posey’s 3-pointer made it 3-2 less than two mintues into the game.
Davide Moretti then hit a 3-pointer and had a fast-break layup within a span of 15 second to put the Red Raiders ahead to stay.
The Raiders pieced together their biggest run early in the second half to finally shake free of Pine Bluff. Chris Smith’s two free throws with just under 15 minutes left had Pine Bluff within 43-31. Tech then scored the next 13 points, buoyed by back-to-back thunderous slam dunks by Tariq Owens slam dunks and a slick three-point play by Culver when he drove the baseline for an up-and-under finger roll off a pass from Mooney.
Kyler Edwards added 10 points for Texas Tech.
BIG PICTURE
Pine Bluff: After a 56-point shellacking at Cincinnati eight days earlier, the well-traveled Lions showed some fight as they work toward the more manageable SWAC season.
Texas Tech: The Red Raiders keep chugging along on the strength of tough-to-crack defense and offensive balance. They have won all eight games by double digits, six by 18 points or more.