LUBBOCK, Texas – After missing the final 16 games last season with an injury, HBU junior guard Tyler Russell returned to the court to score 19 points off the bench, but Texas Tech controlled the paint for a 76-61 victory over the Huskies in the season-opener for both teams Friday night at United Spirit Arena.
 
Russell made 6-of-14 from the field and 6-of-6 from the line, while sophomore guard Rob Lewis added 12 points for his 10-straight game in double figures for HBU (0-1). Sophomore center Cody Joyce went 5-for-7 from the field and scored a career-high 11 points. Sophomore forward Dauson Womack and freshman center Cody Stetler each pulled down six boards to lead the Huskies.
 
Jordan Tolbert had a double-double for Texas Tech (1-0) with 16 points and 12 rebounds, going 8-of-14 from the field. Robert Turner hit 6-of-11 shots to add 12 points for the Red Raiders.
 
HBU shot 37 percent from the field for the game and made 4-of-14 from behind the arc. Tech shot 46 percent from the field, but made only 3-of-17 from long range. The Huskies went 17-for-21 (81 percent) from the free throw line, while the Red Raiders were 9-for-15. Each team took care of the ball well as HBU turned it over 12 times, and Tech made just 10. The Red Raiders outrebounded the Huskies, 42-33, including 17-10 on offensive boards, which led to a 46-18 advantage on points in the paint.
 
The Huskies got on the board first as freshman forward Alex Fountain knocked down a three, but Tolbert had a layup and a dunk, Turner hit a jumper and a three-point play by Jaye Crockett put the Red Raiders up by five. Russell nailed a baseline floater, then a 17-foot jumper to cut Tech's lead to one, but Alex Foster answered with a layup to give the Red Raiders an 11-8 lead at the 13:50 mark. Junior center Ricmonds Vilde made a nice over-the-top pass to find Joyce for an easy layup, but Toddrick Gotcher hit a pair of free throws on the other end. Stetler drove the baseline for a layup to keep the Huskies within one at 13-12.
 
A Jamal Williams three gave Tech a four-point lead, but Joyce answered with another bucket inside. Turner hit a pull-up jumper, Tolbert threw down a one-handed slam, and another layup by Turner extended the Red Raiders' lead to eight with 6:46 left in the first half.
 
Russell scored seven-straight HBU points as the Huskies cut the deficit to three with 4:13 to go, but another dunk and a layup by Tolbert put the Red Raiders ahead, 28-23. Junior guard Marcel Smith made a running floater in the lane for HBU, but Tolbert's putback dunk and a free throw by Aaron Ross staked Tech to a 33-25 lead heading into halftime.
 
HBU shot 37 percent and made 2-of-7 from behind the arc, while Tech made 40 percent from the field but only 1-of-8 from 3-point range in the first half. Russell led the Huskies with 11 points, and Tolbert had 12 points at the break for the Red Raiders.
 
Early in the second half, Lewis buried a trey, but baskets by Crockett and Turner put the Red Raiders ahead 41-30 at the 17:00 minutes remaining. After Lewis' three, HBU was held to one field goal for nearly nine minutes, but Tech was only able to push the lead to 16, as the Red Raiders kept sending the Huskies to the free throw line.
 
Joyce made a baseline jumper, then Russell found him on a pick-and-roll for a layup to cut Tech's lead to 11 with six minutes to go, but the Red Raiders answered back, and a three by Ross put them up 70-52. The Huskies wouldn't go away as Lewis buried a three, then a Vilde tip-in made it a 13-point game with 2:23 left.  A jumper by Turner just before the buzzer provided the Red Raiders with the 15-point final margin.
The Huskies return to action when they host Crowley's Ridge in the home opener Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Sharp Gym, before hitting the road again for another matchup with a Big 12 opponent when they face Texas Monday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. in Austin.