The floodgates never opened all the way, but Texas Tech found enough juice to put away the Islanders of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 73-64, Thursday at United Supermarkets Arena. The win was the third-straight for the Red Raiders to open the season and concluded a homestand of that many as the campaign continued to roar away.
Four Red Raiders finished in double figures, as Chance McMillian led the way for all scorers with 17 points. Joe Toussaint finished with 14 and Warren Washington put down 13 on the stat sheet. Darrion Williams accompanied the group, adding two free throws at the end of the contest to hit 10 points.
After digging themselves into an 8-2 hole from the outset, the Red Raiders traded buckets with Corpus before eventually taking their first lead and growing it to as much as 12. Washington continued his trend of starting games strong, taking Tech into the intermission with nine points at the break. Even with a 10 point lead at half, it was at the expense of some less than ideal shooting numbers, as the Red Raiders shot 2-17 from beyond the arc in the first half of action.
Washington eventually had to leave the game for an extended period of time, suffering an apparent leg injury. When he returned however, his presence was felt immediately. Being subbed in with Tech holding only a two-point advantage, 49-47, Washington forced a turnover, taking the ball at midcourt all the way to the rim for a resounding slam. This sparked a 6-0 spurt from the Red Raiders. After closing the margin to four points with 3:36 remaining in the contest, the Islanders were unable to get any closer as timely free throws and a layup from Toussaint extended the lead back to six in favor of Tech. McMillian’s dagger three cemented the Red Raider victory, and was McMillian’s third of the night.
Up next for the Red Raiders is the long-awaited trip to the Bahamas where they will take part in the annual Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. Tech’s first contest in the tournament is against Villanova Nov. 23 with tip off set for 1:30 p.m.
