LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Dylan Disu scored 21 points, Max Abmas added 18 and Texas rode a strong first half to an 81-69 victory over Texas Tech on Tuesday night in a game that included a significant delay after fans threw objects on the floor had thrown.
Midway through the second half, Texas' Brock Cunningham missed a hard check on Darrion Williams, knocking the Red Raiders player out of bounds. As officials reviewed the game, objects including water bottles were thrown to the ground and security guards escorted some fans from the arena.
Cunningham was sent off for a flagrant foul 2 and Texas Tech received an administrative penalty for fan behavior. This announcement led to more objects being thrown. Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland took the microphone to implore the crowd to stop.
“We all know what’s at stake in this game,” McCasland said afterward, according to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. “There is a lot going on. There is a lot of passion in this game. When you have to talk on the microphone, you're talking to over 15,000 people, but in reality you're talking to a few people who are doing it.” Things that are completely unacceptable. When I finally communicated clearly, people realized that this couldn't happen. Many people applauded because they knew that this is not what we need to do and that it cost us technical costs and caused us a problem.
“But you know, what comes with this great place is the great passion, and unfortunately I thought that the decisions of a few people have an impact on everyone, and that's not what this is about, and that's how we get better.”
After play resumed, Tech (29-9, 8-7 Big 12) scored the next five points to get the deficit under 20 for the first time in the half, but the Red Raiders got no closer than the 12th -Points final approaching margin.
Texas coach Rodney Terry said he told officials he was considering taking his team off the field before order was restored.
“That is what I said [referee] “Kelly Self,” Terry said. “I said, Kelly, man, if they keep throwing things because they're throwing right at our bench now, I said we're going back to the locker room. “I said I know we have a technical foul. It should be a second technical foul, but if they keep throwing things at our guys, at the bench, then we have to protect our guys and go in.”
Terry praised McCasland for taking the microphone and “calming everyone down a little.”
“Some coaches won’t do that,” Terry said. “He did that. Kudos to him. Proud of him. Proud of Coach Grant. He is a man of great character and a good man who has done a great job coaching his team.”
Chendall Weaver finished the game with 15 points and Kadin Shedrick had 10 for Texas (18-10, 7-8).
Editor favorites
2 relatives
Isaacs finished the game with 17 points, including 13 in the second half, for Tech, which lost for just the second time in 16 home games. Williams had 16 points, Joe Toussaint 13 and Chance McMillian 10, as well as a game-high nine rebounds. Seven-foot-tall Warren Washington, who started all 24 games he played, was sidelined with a nagging foot injury.
A loud, energetic crowd thronged the Red Raiders at the start of this final scheduled meeting between the rivals. But Texas (18-10, 7-8), which is leaving the Big 12 for the SEC next season, never trailed, outscoring the Red Raiders 28-9 in the final seven minutes of the half and leading 47-23. Texas shot 60% in the first half, including 12 points from Disu and 11 from Abmas. Tech shot just 24% in the half and made 1 of 10 from beyond the arc, and Isaacs was 0 of 10 from the floor.
There were 56 free throws made and three players from each team finished the game with four fouls.
The Longhorns were able to split the season and pick up their 90th win in the 157-game series.
Texas hosts Oklahoma State, while Texas Tech visits West Virginia on Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.