LUBBOCK, Texas — Andrew Wiggins’ layup with two seconds left lifted No. 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night.
The freshman finished with 19 points and Joel Embiid matched his career high with 18 to lead the Jayhawks (20-6, 11-2). The victory for Kansas gave them 20 wins for the 25th consecutive season and 11 or more conference wins for 20th-straight year.
Texas Tech’s Robert Turner sank two free throws with 16 seconds left to put the Red Raiders up 63-62 but Kansas brought the ball up and got it inside to Wiggins for the win.
Jordan Tolbert scored 16 points and Dejan Kravic added 13 to lead Texas Tech (13-13, 5-8).
The win gives the Jayhawks a two-game lead in the Big 12 after Texas fell 85-76 at Iowa State on Tuesday night.
The score was tied nine times and the lead changed 13 times.
Kansas held a 10-point lead early in the game but Texas Tech started hammering the ball inside to make the game tight throughout.
Tolbert hit a bucket as the shot clock expired with 2:51 left to put the Red Raiders up 59-55. But Wayne Seldon, Jr. hit a clutch 3-pointer to pull within 59-58. Turner answered with a bucket and Embiid sank two free throws to make it 61-60 with 1:22 left.
On the Red Raiders next possession a scrum for the ball led to a jump call and Kansas’ ball. Embiid dunked it to put the Jayhawks up 62-61.
That’s when Turner hit his free throws and Kansas called a time out to draw up the play to Wiggins for the win.
Kansas scored 22 points from the free throw line, while Texas Tech got just nine.
Texas Tech came out after halftime and hit four of its first five shots, while Kansas got only one bucket in four attempts, allowing the Red Raiders their first lead since early in the game, 37-32.
Jordan Tolbert capped Texas Tech’s 8-2 run before Kansas started playing offense.
But the Red Raiders effective defense against the Jayhawks also brought foul trouble. With more than 13 minutes remaining, Jaye Crockett, Kravic and Kader Tapsoba each had three fouls.
Texas Tech sent the Jayhawks to the line often in the second half. Five free throws — by Jamari Traylor and Wiggins — on three possessions pulled Kansas within 46-45 with about 11 minutes remaining. But the Jayhawks regained the lead for the first time in 11 minutes, 52-51, on a pair of free throws by Naadir Tharpe with 7:14 remaining.
But with Kravic back in and after a turnover by Tharpe, the 7-foot senior tied the score at 53 on a layup with 5:34 left.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Big 12 Conference
MEN
Tuesday
At Lubbock, Texas
No. 8 KANSAS 64,
TEXAS TECH 63
KANSAS (20-6)
Selden, Jr. 2-8 0-0 6, Tharpe 1-7 3-3 6, Embiid 6-7 6-8 18, Wiggins 6-11 6-8 19, Ellis 0-3 4-6 4, Mason 0-1 2-2 2, White III 0-0 0-0 0, Greene 0-1 0-0 0, Frankamp 0-0 0-0 0, Black 2-2 0-1 4, Traylor 2-2 1-2 5. Totals 19-42 22-30 64.
TEXAS TECH (13-13)
Kravic 6-8 1-1 13, Turner 4-7 2-2 11, Gotcher 0-0 0-4 0, Crockett 3-11 2-3 10, Tolbert 7-10 2-2 16, Onwuasor 0-2 0-0 0, Hannahs 3-9 2-2 10, Tapsoba 0-2 0-0 0, Ross 0-1 0-0 0, Williams, Jr. 1-1 0-0 3, Foster 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-51 9-14 63.
Halftime—Kansas 30-29. Three-point goals—Kansas 4-14 (Selden, Jr. 2-4, Wiggins 1-4, Tharpe 1-5, Greene 0-1), Texas Tech 6-12 (Crockett 2-3, Hannahs 2-5, Williams, Jr. 1-1, Turner 1-2, Tolbert 0-1). Fouled out—None. Rebounds—Kansas 28 (Embiid 8), Texas Tech 26 (Tolbert 6). Assists—Kansas 6 (Tharpe, Wiggins 2), Texas Tech 12 (Gotcher 3). Total fouls—Kansas 16, Texas Tech 21. A—NA.
