LUBBOCK, Texas — No. 23 Texas Tech started well against Iowa State and held the lead throughout the game, notching a wire-to-wire, 72-52 win Saturday afternoon.

With the win, Texas Tech improves to 12-5 on the season and 3-2 in Big 12 play.

The game was not a blowout the whole way, as the Cyclones hung around in the first half and cut the lead to two early in the second. But the Red Raiders always had an answer when their opponent got close.

Up by four in the second half, Texas Tech made its run. Iowa State coach Steve Prohm didn’t like a goaltending call against the Cyclones and was hit with a technical foul. That sequence got four points for the Red Raiders. Shortly afterwards, Davide Moretti and Avery Benson nailed back-to-back 3-pointers to extend the lead to 12. 

Moretti and Kyler Edwards led the way offensively. Moretti is back to the deadly 3-point sniper he was last season. He buried three 3-pointers and scored 17 in the win.

Edwards set a career high with 24 points on Tuesday, and followed it with 22 Saturday. His scoring and efficiency have drastically improved after a slow start to the season.

“It’s just process,” Chris Beard said. “It’s what he does. There hasn’t been some kind of magical moment. He hasn’t come to practice and had a certain kind of headband on or a new pair of shoes. He just works.”

The Red Raiders also got a boost from Terrence Shannon, who returned after missing the last two games with a back injury.

Shannon immediately demonstrated what Texas Tech was missing while he was out, picking off a pass and flying down the court before punching down a tomahawk jam. The dunk punctuated a 11-2 run to start the game for the Red Raiders.

It wasn’t always perfect for Texas Tech, as the team suffered some cold stretches on offense. It went scoreless for nearly five minutes following Shannon’s dunk allowing, Iowa State to stay close.

The Red Raider defense was excellent throughout, and it contained one of the most talented players in the country in Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton. 

The projected NBA lottery pick was quiet out of the gate, but eventually found his stride, finishing with 13 points. Still, Haliburton didn’t take over the game in the way that he is capable of doing. He complimented Texas Tech’s defense after the game.

“They’re really good,” Haliburton said. “They fly around. They’ve got guys who can guard all five positions. They can run five guards at times so they can switch everything and that can really mix you up offensively.”

He dished two assists, well below his season average of 7.9. A big part of that was due to his teammates’ shooting. The Cyclones missed their first 15 3-pointers, and finished the game 3-22 from deep.  

With Shannon back and Texas Tech’s defense playing as well as it has all season, the Red Raiders are primed to make a run in the Big 12.

“I feel like when we lock in and connected like we showed in the second half, I think we can be really good,” Moretti said.

They will have to carry that momentum onto the road, as their next challenge is at TCU 7 p.m. Tuesday night.