The men’s basketball team returned to action on Tuesday night, seeking their first conference win of the season, but it wasn’t in the cards for the Wildcats as they fell to Texas Tech, 77-63.
As for the Red Raiders, they got what they were looking for, securing their second win in Manhattan since 2007.
The Red Raiders jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, the Wildcats struggling out of the gate.
Kansas State bounced back with a 7-0 run before Texas Tech responded with an 8-0, pushing the score to 18-7 midway through the half.
Both teams locked in defensively as the Red Raiders took a 37-30 lead into the half despite a late 13-5 run from the Wildcats in the final three minutes of the half.
K-State shot 47 percent from the floor, but only had 17 attempts in the half, three from beyond the arc. The Wildcats shot 69 percent from the free-throw line, keeping them in the game.
Redshirt junior guard Cartier Diarra took over in the half for the Wildcats with a team-high 10 points.
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The Red Raiders shot 48 percent from the floor and 56 percent from three. The charity stripe was crucial for Texas Tech as they shot 83 percent (10-12) from the stripe.
Sophomore guard Kyler Edwards led all scorers with 13 points in the half.
Foul trouble was an issue for both teams heading into the second half with multiple players having two fouls, including junior guard Davide Moretti. The Red Raiders opened the second half with a quick two fouls and both teams were in the bonus with 7:42 remaining in the game.
A 9-0 run from the Wildcats in the second half turned the game into a one-point game and took a 46-45 lead with 13:17 remaining in the game. It was the first lead of the night for K-State.
The Red Raiders began to pull away with a 13-2 run midway through the second half to take a 61-50 lead. Texas Tech outscored the Wildcats 40-33 in the second half, ultimately defeating them 77-63.
Diarra scored 19 points and freshman forward Montavious Murphy dropped a career-high 11 points.
Edwards finished with a career-high 24 points for Texas Tech in the win.
At 1 p.m. on Saturday, the Wildcats, still looking for their first conference win, will host West Virginia.
