No. 21 Texas Tech rolls past ACU 74-47 in last Big 12 tuneup

Updated: Dec 23, 2017, 05:17 am

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Zach Smith scored 16 points in his first game since not getting to start because of a violation of team rules and No. 21 Texas Tech beat Abilene Christian 74-47 on Friday in the Red Raiders' final tuneup for the rugged Big 12.

Texas Tech (11-1) won its fifth straight game and extended its nonconference home winning streak to 38 games, holding the Wildcats to 17 percent shooting (5 of 31) in the first half and 30 percent overall.

Zhaire Smith scored 14 points and Keenan Evans and Justin Gray had 11 apiece in the first meeting between the West Texas schools since Dec. 2, 1957, also in Lubbock. The Red Raiders have won 11 straight in the series, a streak that dates to 1938.

Texas Tech coach Chris Beard's first full-time job as an assistant was at ACU for the 1996-97 season, when Wildcats coach Joe Golding was the team's point guard. Beard's three daughters live in Abilene.

Tevin Foster and Hayden Howell scored nine points each for the Wildcats (8-5), who played their first ranked opponent in 33 years. They lost 84-72 at No. 19 Kansas on Dec. 8, 1984.

The Red Raiders opened the game with a 9-0 run and finished the first half with three straight Smith dunks -- two by Zhaire, one by Zach -- for an 8-0 spurt and 30-15 lead.

Zach Smith was 7 of 8 from the field but just 2 of 7 on free throws. The Red Raiders were 17 of 34 from the line after going 7 of 21 in their previous game, a 73-53 win over Rice.

BIG PICTURE

ACU: The toughest game on ACU's schedule went about as expected, although the Wildcats surely didn't anticipate the kind of poor shooting game they had. They lost the momentum of a 62-58 win at Air Force by getting beat at Lipscomb and never really giving themselves a chance against the Red Raiders.

Texas Tech: Beard has to be pleased with how the nonconference schedule prepared his team for the Big 12. The Red Raiders lost to Seton Hall immediately after getting ranked for the first time since January 2010. They knew their last chance to get back in the Top 25 was the next game against then-No. 22 Nevada, and they rallied to win in overtime.

UP NEXT

ACU: Southland opener at New Orleans on Dec. 28.

Texas Tech: Big 12 opener at home against No. 18 Baylor on Dec. 29.

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