Texas Tech beats Longwood for 2nd straight 11-1 start (Dec 21, 2016)
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) Anthony Livingston led Texas Tech with 19 points and six assists in a 91-60 romp over Longwood Wednesday, helping the Red Raiders surge to their second consecutive 11-1 start.
Zach Smith added 15 points and 12 rebounds for Texas Tech (11-1). Aaron Ross finished with 14 points and Keenan Evans had 11. The Red Raiders shot 55 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Lancers 42-18.
''The first day (Texas Tech coach Chris Beard) recruited me, he told me he was going to make me an all-around player,'' Livingston, a graduate transfer from Arkansas State, said. ''Today showed that. And I just want to get better and better as the season goes on.''
Chris Shields paced Longwood with 15 points. Khris Lane scored 12 points and Isaiah Walton added 11.
Longwood (3-8), which has not beaten a Big 12 team since a 2013 win over Texas Christian, endured a scoreless stretch of more than four minutes late in the first half and trailed 43-25 at halftime.
''We played Creighton and now Texas Tech, '' Longwood coach Jayson Gee said. ''And I would say Texas Tech is in that category. Even though Creighton is ninth or tenth in the country. Creighton's got a really special point guard that makes them go, but in terms of depth, size and athleticism, I was very impressed.''
By intermission, Longwood hadn't attempted a free throw and it committed 10 turnovers to Texas Tech's three.
This season, Texas Tech has consistently won the points off turnover margin and bested Longwood in that area, 20-3.
BIG PICTURE
Longwood: The Lancers, who have won once in December, dressed eight scholarship players. Damarion Geter, Jahleem Montague and Juan Munoz were out with injuries and Kendrick Thompson was out due to non-disciplinary personal reasons.
Texas Tech: The Red Raiders frontcourt is back to full strength. At some point this season, forwards Smith, Norense Odiase and Ross were all out with injury. All three played Wednesday.
''It was a long process,'' Odiase said of his rehab. ''The tough will survive.''
Odiase, a junior making his season debut, finished with eight points, two rebounds and two assists in 11 minutes.
CONTINUED HOT STARTS
It's the third consecutive season that Beard's team has started 11-1. He was at Division II Angelo State in 2014-15 and Arkansas-Little Rock in 2015-16.
HOLIDAY HUSTLE
Longwood's two-game road trip at Ball State and Texas Tech covered more than 1,700 miles in four days.
RECOGNIZED 12
Eight Big 12 teams are either ranked or receiving votes in the top 25 polls this week.
STREAK BROKEN
Texas Tech's 79-72 win over Richmond on Dec. 21 broke a streak of seven straight non-conference road losses dating back to 2011-12.
UP NEXT
Longwood hosts Campbell on Dec. 29 in its Big South Conference opener.
Texas Tech begins Big 12 play on Dec. 30 with a road game at Iowa State.
