Lubbock, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Javan Felix scored a game-high 15 points as 11th-ranked Texas won its Big 12 opener with a 70-61 verdict over Texas Tech at United Supermarkets Arena.
Jonathan Holmes added 14 points and Cameron Ridley had 13 along with seven rebounds for a Longhorns team that received a further boost in the return of point guard Isaiah Taylor from a broken wrist.
Taylor, who had missed the Longhorns' last 10 outings, shot just 2-of-10 from the field and turned the ball over six times, but came up with four steals to key another strong defensive effort for Texas (12-2, 1-0 Big 12).
"It felt good just getting back out there with my team and just competing with them," said Taylor. "I know it was rough, I had a rough game. My teammates carried me through this."
The Longhorns also did plenty of damage from the foul line, hitting 25-of-34 free throw attempts to offset a 38.5 percent shooting display.
Texas Tech (10-4, 0-1) had just one player score in double figures, with Isaiah Manderson finishing with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting.
The Longhorns got off to a sloppy start, committing eight turnovers in the game's first seven-plus minutes and trailing 13-11 midway through the opening half. Texas went on a 13-3 run at that point and was never behind the rest of the way.
Texas grabbed a 20-16 edge on a Felix 3-pointer with 5:38 to go in the period, and Myles Turner followed with a short jumper in front of Jordan Barnett's steal -- one of five Longhorn takeaways during the flurry -- and layup that pushed the lead to eight.
The Longhorns went into the break up 31-22, recording 20 of their points off 12 Texas Tech turnovers, then quickly increased the margin to 14 when Holmes netted the first five points of the second half.
Texas Tech did make a bid to get back in it, countering with an 11-3 push that trimmed its deficit to 39-33. It remained a six-point differential with 15 1/2 minutes to go, before the Longhorns embarked on a 12-0 tear that put the game out of reach.
After Texas recorded the first eight points of the run on free throws with the Red Raiders hurting themselves with fouls, Ridley scored underneath and Felix converted a layup in transition to put the Longhorns up by a 53-35 count with 10 minutes to go.
The Red Raiders made one final push late, as Manderson tallied six points during a 9-1 stretch that cut the lead to 66-59 with 1:19 left. Texas Tech failed to score on its next two possessions, though, and the Longhorns sealed the outcome at the foul line.
"I was really proud of how our guys competed," said Texas Tech head coach Tubby Smith. "We didn't quit and I thought our youngsters, our young players, freshmen, really battled."
Game Notes
Holmes scored all 14 of his points in the second half and eclipsed the 1,000- point mark for his career on his first basket ... The Longhorns avenged a 59-53 defeat in Lubbock last March, which halted Texas Tech's 11-game losing streak in the series ... Texas finished with a 41-29 advantage in rebounds, with 18 coming on the offensive end ... The Red Raiders were just 13-of-26 on free throws ... Texas improved to 13-2 in Big 12 openers under head coach Rick Barnes.
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