Wiggins Helps (8) Jayhawks Escape at Texas Tech
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John Weast Getty Images Sport (LUBBOCK, Texas) — Freshman Andrew Wiggins hit a layup with two seconds left to give eighth-ranked Kansas a 64-63 win at Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The win moved the Jayhawks’ record to 20-6 and 11-2 in Big 12 play, marking the 25th straight season that Kansas has eclipsed the 20-win plateau.
In a back-and-forth affair, the two teams traded leads 13 times and saw the score get knotted up on nine other occasions. The Jawhawks took a 10-point lead just over six minutes in when Wiggins hit a three-point shot to go ahead 17-7. The Red Raiders (13-13, 5-8 Big 12) battled back and trailed by one at halftime.
Robert Turner hit a jumper to start the second half, giving Texas Tech their first lead since 6-5 in the opening minutes. The Red Raiders extended the advantage to as many as five and held the lead for a full 12 minutes. A pair of Nadiir Tharpe free throws put the Jayhawks back on top, 52-51, with 7:14 to play.
Texas Tech regained a one-point lead in the final minute, but a Joel Embiid dunk put Kansas ahead with 31 seconds to play. Turner then connected on two free throws to give the Red Raiders a 63-62 lead with 16 seconds remaining. However, the hope of an upset was taken away on the Wiggins layup, as Texas Tech would be unable to get a shot off before the final horn.
Wiggins finished the game with 19 points while Embiid poured in 18, matching a career high. Five players scored in double figures for Texas Tech, led by Jordan Tolbert’s 16 points.
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