Texas Tech Closes Out WVU Late, 81-70

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — After trailing for the majority of the game, Texas Tech closed WVU out in the final 15 minutes, winning 81-70.

Texas Tech (20-9, 9-7 Big 12) won the second half 42-25 after West Virginia (9-20, 4-12 Big 12) went into halftime with a lead.

Former WVU G Joe Toussaint returned to Morgantown for the first time since transferring last summer. Toussaint was set to stay with the Mountaineers before Bob Huggins’ resignation in June. Heading into the game, Toussaint averaged 12.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists for the Red Raiders.

The 6-foot guard finished the game with a team-high of 21 points and seven assists.

West Virginia began the game out of the gates on a 20-4 run. Texas Tech started the game shooting 1-of-11 from the field.

After slowing down, West Virginia showed another wave of scoring towards the end of the first half. 4-threes in a span of two minutes from RaeQuan Battle (2), Kerr Kriisa (1) and Quinn Slazinski (1) to give the Mountaineers another double-digit lead.

Jesse Edwards led the way for WVU with 18 points and eight rebounds. Kriisa recorded 10 points with 2-threes against Texas Tech.

Texas Tech ended the first half on a 9-4 run to trail 45-39 at the break. The Red Raiders rolled right into the second half on another run, taking their first lead of the game at 52-50 with 15:24 left in the game.

WVU F Josiah Harris got the start at the four against Texas Tech. Harris was averaging 6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds his previous four games while shooting 54% from the field and 44% from three during Big 12 play.

Harris ended the night with three points and five rebounds.

At the under-4 timeout, West Virginia University named Braden Adkins out of Richwood, W.Va. the school’s 70th Mountaineer Mascot.

West Virginia will have a few days off before hosting TCU for Senior Night on Wednesday. The Mountaineers and Horned Frogs are set to tipoff at 7 p.m. on ESPN+ with the senior festivities beginning 30 minutes prior.