Texas Tech uses hot start to defeat Maine 83-44

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Keegan Evans led a balanced attack with 12 points and Texas Tech used a dominant first half to roll to an 83-44 win over Maine on Tuesday night.

Jarrett Culver and Zhaire Smith both added 11 points, Niem Stevenson 10 and 12 of the 14 Red Raiders who played in the game scored.

Texas Tech (2-0) scored the first 11 points of the game and, after a Maine (0-2) 3-pointer, ripped off another 13 to lead 24-3 before the midway point of the first half. Stevenson, Evans and Culver had 3-pointers in the first run, Smith had eight points in the second as TTU went 9 of 12 from the field and Maine was 1 of 12.

Texas Tech put together a 10-0 run, started by a Tommy Hamilton IV 3 and capped by a jumper and a 3 from Brandone Francis. Just before the half was a 6-0 spurt that turned into a 12-2 run and a 49-13 lead at the break.

The Red Raiders shot 57 percent for the half, knocking down 8 of 12 from distance while the Black Bears shot 15 percent (4 of 26) with 11 turnovers.

It's just a relentless attack from TT. I love the way they play. They come at you in waves. They attack you with everything I was worried about coming into the game," Maine coach Bob Walsh said. "Their intensity, their pressure, their athleticism, their size, was just going to take us out of who we are and that's exactly what they did.

"They got us on our heels, there was a little sense of blood in the water and they just continued to roll from that point.

Texas Tech only shot two from distance cooled off to 44 percent in the second half but the lead reached 48 points with 6:24 to play.

Maine was 1 of 10 behind the arc in the second half but shot 32 percent, finishing at 25 percent for the game. No player reached double figures.

"It helps when you hit shots," Tech coach Chris Beard said. "I thought we did a good job on the defensive end. Maine is a very good 3-point shooting team and to hold them to three makes, you've got to give our guys credit defensively.

"For the most part especially in the first half when we played well we dialed in defensively. I think the start of the game, good shooting helps but we were dialed in defensively as well."

THE BIG PICTURE

Maine: The Black Bears are 0-4 against the Big 12, their previous loss being 78-52 to Blake Griffin's Oklahoma team on Dec. 10, 2008. ... Andrew Fleming and Ilija Stojiljkovic had eight points and reserves Dusan Majstorovic and 3 Ilker Er had seven apiece. ... Maine did go 13 of 15 from the line.

Texas Tech: Evans has scored in double figures 22 straight games. ... The Red Raiders were much more opportunistic, turning 17 turnovers into 24 points but only giving up five points on their 10 miscues.

UP NEXT

Maine: The Black Bears move on to Uncasville, Connecticut, for the remainder of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Tipoff, facing South Alabama on Saturday and Sacred Heart or St. Peter's on Sunday.

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders move on to Uncasville, Connecticut, for the remainder of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Tipoff, playing Boston College on Saturday. They'll play LaSalle or No. 20 Northwestern on Sunday. ... The rebounding margin was just 37-31 for the Red Raiders but in bench points it was 49-18.

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