Story courtesy of Georgia Southern sports information.
LUBBOCK, Texas ? Martin Zeno’s career high 28 points helped Texas Tech escape Georgia Southern, 74-61, in the Lubbock Regional of the 2K Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.
The Red Raiders (2-0) opened the game with a 15-4 run, including eight from Zeno. A Donte Gennie jumper at the 11:02 mark cut the deficit to five, at 17-12. After a quick 5-0 spurt by Texas Tech, Georgia Southern (1-1) exploded over the next three and a half minutes, going on a 13-0 run, taking its first lead of the game, 25-22, with 5:15 to play in the half on a Gennie three-pointer. The lead changed hands five times over the next five minutes, with the game deadlocked at 33-33 at the break.
Gennie led the Eagles at the break with eight points, including two three-pointers. Dwayne Foreman also added a pair of treys in the opening stanza, with six points and three assists. Georgia Southern forced eight Red Raiders turnovers in the first half.
Texas Tech began the second half much like it did the game, jumping out to a ten point lead, 43-33, with 16:39 to play. Three quick points from Elton Nesbitt and a trey from Foreman put the Eagles within four with less than 15 minutes remaining. Louis Graham connected on the Eagles’ next three baskets, putting Georgia Southern within five, 52-47, with ten minutes to play. A 6-0 Zeno spurt extended the Red Raiders lead to 13, 60-47, with under eight to play. A fast-break lay-up by Gennie put the Eagles within 10 with 6:22 on the clock, but could not pull off the win, as the Red Raiders went on to win, 74-61.
Zeno led all scorers with 28, going 11-of-17 from the floor. He broke his previous record of 24, which he set last season against Kansas. Graham led the Eagles with 16 points, and was a rebound shy of his first double-double of the season, finishing with nine. Gennie added 14, while Nesbitt and Foreman each scored 10.
Foreman was one assist shy of a double-double as well, with nine on the night.
Georgia Southern forced 19 Texas Tech turnovers, one shy of the Red Raiders season high from last season.
The Red Raiders shot 54.7 percent from the floor, while holding the 6th ranked scoring offense from 2004-05 to 39.1 percent. Texas Tech out rebounded the Eagles 40-28, while the Eagles swiped 10 steals from the Red Raiders.
Georgia Southern returns to action in one week, traveling to Kansas State for the team’s second straight game against a Big 12 opponent. Tip-off from Manhattan, Kansas is set for 8:00 p.m. EST.