Williams leads No. 11 Texas Tech over No. 20 Texas 61-55

Updated Feb. 19, 2022 3:35 p.m. ET

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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Bryson Williams scored 17 points and No. 11 Texas Tech held off a late charge by No. 20 Texas to win 61-55 on Saturday and earn a sweep of the regular-season series in the heated rivalry.

Clarence Nadolny added 14 points for the Red Raiders, who led by 10 with just over 3 minutes to play before the Longhorns got within 56-55 with a 9-0 run.

But Andrew Jones' long 3-pointer with 1:10 to play was the last Texas field goal and Texas Tech put the game away from the free throw line.

Texas Tech (21-6, 10-4 Big 12) has won nine of the last 11 against the Longhorns in a rivalry that has grown only more intense since Chris Beard, the coach who led the Red Raiders to the national championship game in 2019, left to take over the Longhorns program this season.

Visiting Red Raiders fans packed into Erwin Center and their nonstop chants and taunts of Texas players made the game at times feel like a Texas Tech home environment.

And Texas Tech simply out-muscled one of the toughest defensive teams in the country. The Red Raiders outscored the Longhorns 26-10 in the paint and won the rebounding battle 45-36.

Andrew Jones scored 20 points to lead Texas (19-8, 8-6).

The game was physical from the opening tip as elbows flew, bodies hit the floor and Texas was hit with an early flagrant foul. Longhorns forward Dylan Disu took an elbow to the nose and left the court holding a towel over his face late in the first half.

Texas Tech twice built the lead to seven early in the second half only to see Texas claw back with 3-pointers from Jones and Jase Febres.

A 3-pointer from Febres had the Longhorns within three before Nodalny answered with one on the other end. Free throws from Williams and Nadolny pushed the Red Raiders' lead to 56-46 with just over 3 minutes to play before Texas rallied.

BIG PICTURE

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders had strong fan turnout in Austin. Texas officials stopped ticket sales Thursday after learning a group of Red Raiders fans were reportedly buying as many as possible through the school box office using a specific online code.

Texas: The Longhorns played their second game without forward Tre Mitchell, who earlier in the week took what Texas called a leave of absence for personal reasons. Mitchell, a transfer from UMass, started 17 games this season and was averaging 8.7 points and four rebounds. The school has given no indication whether he's expected to return.

UP NEXT

Texas Tech hosts Oklahoma on Tuesday.

Texas hosts TCU on Thursday.

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More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

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Dylan Disu

Bryson Williams

Andrew Jones

Jase Febres

Clarence Nadolny

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Texas Longhorns