SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Devaugntah Williams scored 15 points to help Texas Tech hold off Mississippi State 74-72 in Friday’s consolation bracket at the Puerto Rico Tipoff.
Keenan Evans added 13 points for the Red Raiders (2-1), who did just enough in the final three minutes to squeeze out a victory that came down to the final play.
The Bulldogs (1-3) had the ball last with a chance to tie, but freshman Malik Newman missed a drive, then Gavin Ware missed a putback attempt through contact in the frantic final sequence. Zach Smith secured the final rebound shortly before the horn sounded.
Smith finished with 12 points, including a critical late basket when he stuffed home his own miss for a 74-70 lead with 1:17 left.
Newman finished with 17 points to lead Mississippi State, but the touted rookie made just 6 of 17 shots, including a 2-for-9 performance from behind the arc.
Texas Tech led by 13 late in the first half and 41-32 at the break behind 16 points off turnovers, but shot just 34 percent and didn’t get nearly as many opportunities to capitalize in the second half as Mississippi State pushed its way back into the game.
The Bulldogs shot 50 percent in the second half, eventually tying the game on Newman’s driving basket for a three-point play with 7:39 left.
The Bulldogs eventually took a 68-64 lead on Ware’s finish as he muscled up a shot in the lane through contact – which knocked his goggles down around his jaw – for a three-point play with 5:19 left. But Evans later knocked down a 3-pointer to tie it again at 68, setting up the tight finish.
Smith’s two free throws with 2:46 left finally put the Red Raiders ahead for good, though big man Norense Odiase – a career 48 percent foul shooter – missed the front end of a 1-and-1 opportunity with 27.4 seconds left that gave the Bulldogs one last chance to tie or win.
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TIP-INS
Mississippi State: Ware finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, though his miss on the last one had the Bulldogs’ bench crying out for a foul call. … The Bulldogs made 8 of 27 3-point tries for the game. … I.J. Ready had 11 points. … Mississippi State was coming off a blowout loss to Miami in Thursday’s debut in San Juan.
Texas Tech: Odiase had 10 rebounds. … Toddrick Gotcher added 11 points. …. Texas Tech made 18 of 23 foul shots after going just 6-for-14 after halftime in Thursday’s loss to No. 16 Utah.
UP NEXT
Mississippi State will play the Missouri State in Sunday’s seventh-place game.
Texas Tech will play the Minnesota in Sunday’s fifth-place game.
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Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap and the AP’s college basketball site at http://collegebasketball.ap.org
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