MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Texas Tech coach Chris Beard was just happy to walk out with a victory.

“We were pleased to win another Big 12 game today.” Beard said.

Keenan Evans scored 19 points and No. 7 Texas Tech beat Kansas State 66-47 on Saturday night to take sole possession of the Big 12 lead.

“These games are so hard to win with all the preparation and you have to play well to win especially on the road in this league,” Beard said. “I am happy for our guys. Defensively we dialed in. I think we played our fullest 40 minutes of the year defensively.”

Texas Tech (21-4, 9-3) relied on strong second-half defense. After a 27-27 deadlock in the first half, the Red Raiders turned up the pressure.

“They were denying return passes so we had to adjust from running a couple of days.” Cartier Diarra said. “I still feel like we adjusted pretty well. I feel like we got shots that we wanted, but they just did not fall.”

In the second half, Kansas State (17-8, 6-6) had more turnovers (11) than made baskets (5) and ended up shooting just 29 percent on the night.

Dean Wade led the Wildcats with 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting.

At the end of the night, the Red Raiders are atop the Big 12 and guard Keenan Evans isn’t worried about outside opinions. They are just trying to shock the world.

“We are Texas Tech in Lubbock.” Evans said.

“Nobody really talks about us that much. That was not really a factor for us. We knew what we were working for and game by game we are just trying to shock the world.”

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State: Kansas State’s loss keeps the Wildcats on the NCAA Tournament Bubble for now.

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders have now won six in a row.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Texas Tech has a good chance of moving into the top five after an upset-filled week.

THEY SAID IT

“When they get that eight-point lead, it’s like playing a team that runs the Wishbone in football. They do a good job protecting their lead, they tough, they’re physical. They’re one of the best defensive teams in the nation.” — Kansas State coach Bruce Weber on Texas Tech’s defense.

STATS AND STREAKS

During the current six-game winning streak, Texas Tech has held opponents to 63.3 points per game.

UP NEXT

Texas Tech: Hosts Oklahoma on Tuesday night.

Kansas State: At Oklahoma State on Wednesday night.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — As Wichita State senior Rashard Kelly stood with the ball in the opening minutes, the result of a second offensive rebound on the possession, a sold-out crowd rose to its feet and thundered applause.

The fans appreciated the effort, and both coaches pointed to that situation and ones like it after No. 22 Wichita State cruised past UConn 95-74 on Saturday.

“That set the tone, the energy you bring out on the floor,” Shockers coach Gregg Marshall said. “You know, it’s all rah rah in the locker room, but it’s about the intensity you actually bring out on the court. Rashard did that.”

The Shockers (19-5, 9-3 American Athletic Conference) had 17 assists and just two turnovers while building a 55-33 halftime lead. UConn (12-13, 5-7 American) never threatened after that and was outrebounded 40-24.

“Wichita State played with grit and toughness,” UConn coach Kevin Ollie said. “They took it to us from the first possession, when they got two offensive rebounds. We have to show more toughness.”

Landry Shamet scored 16 points in just 23 minutes, the only Shocker to play that many. Conner Frankamp scored 14 points for Wichita State, Shaquille Morris had 12 and Darral Willis added 10 as the Shockers shot 52.4 percent from the floor.

Kelly said his game-high 10 rebounds were the result of trying to show leadership by example.

“You can’t rebound if you don’t go after them,” Kelly said. “I told the guys that. It’s just an effort thing.”

Jalen Adams and Christian Vital each had 22 points in 35 minutes for UConn, which allowed just 67.9 points per game in its first 11 conference contests.

“Our defense was just horrible today,” Ollie said. “We didn’t get out on shooters, allowed wide-open cuts, gave up offensive rebounds.”

Marshall was not thrilled with the way his team “muddled through the second half,” but even he had to admit the first half was impressive.

Wichita State built a 21-7 lead in less than seven minutes, helped by two Austin Reaves 3-pointers.

The Huskies were never closer than 10 points after that. A 16-4 run pushed the Shockers’ lead to 49-27 with 3:31 remaining in the half.

“I’m not into pretty basketball, but it really was pretty at times,” Marshall said. “It is a thing to marvel at sometimes they way our guys move it.”

FINDING FRANKAMP

Frankamp had been mired in quite a slump. A senior, Frankamp went a combined 1 of 12 from the 3-point line in the previous three games. That included snapping a school-record streak of 40 straight games with at least one 3-pointer.

Frankamp went from a starting role to playing less than 15 minutes in any of those three games.

“I was just wondering when it was going to happen for him,” Marshall said. “He’s one of the best shooters I’ve ever been around.”

On Saturday, Frankamp hit his first shot — a 3-pointer off a skip pass from Morris — and kept going. He was 4 of 5 from the 3-point line, including a 25-footer to give him 14 points.

“I’ve been working an hour or two every day and shooting them probably better than I’ve ever shot them in work outs,” Frankamp said. “It was weird not making them in games. I knew they would start falling.”

FRUSTRATION LEVEL?

UConn is not used to a losing record this late in the season. Ollie was asked after the game if the Huskies are starting to get dispirited.

“I’m not getting dispirited,” he said. “I’m staying right here, right in it.”

BIG PICTURE

UConn: With games at Cincinnati and Houston still on the schedule, the Huskies have a legitimate chance to finish below .500.

Wichita State: The Shockers looked like a team with high preseason expectations and likely avoided falling out the Top 25.

UP NEXT

UConn: Hosts Tulsa on Thursday night.

Wichita State: Hosts Temple on Thursday night.

WACO, Texas (AP) — Manu Lecomte took a deep 3-pointer, and then slowly took a few steps backward toward the other goal while watching the ball go through the net. The point guard then made another long shot for Baylor’s next basket.

The consecutive 3s were part of eight straight points by Lecomte after No. 10 Kansas had pulled within a basket, and the Bears went on an 80-64 victory over the Jayhawks — a team they hadn’t beaten in five years.

“Everybody was playing really well, so I was kind of out there being a facilitator for everybody. And then when we needed a shot up, I took them,” said Lecomte, who finished with 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting.

“Those two 3s he made were probably 27, 28 feet. He’s just a good player, and jumped up and made a couple of big-time shots,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “They were just clutch plays.”

The Jayhawks (19-6, 8-4 Big 12) trailed 30-20 at halftime after having more turnovers (nine) than made field goals (seven) before the break. They were down by as many as 13 points after that but closed to 58-56 with 7:14 left after consecutive jumpers by Lagerald Vick.

Lecomte then made a jumper before his only two made 3-pointers for Baylor (15-10, 5-7).

“They were doing a good job of running him off the baseline screens and stuff like that, and kind of lost sight of him,” Kansas guard Devonte Graham said.

Jo Lual-Acuil had 19 points for Baylor, which has won three in a row after a four-game losing streak. Nuni Omot scored 17 and Jake Lindsey 11. Mark Vital grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked three shots .

“Each game is huge now because we had dug ourselves such a hole,” coach Scott Drew said. “The great thing, I’ve said this all along, in the Big 12 there is no bad loss and there’s only quality win opportunities.”

Graham had 14 of his 23 points after halftime, while reserve Malik Newman finished with 14 for Kansas.

BIG PICTURE

Kansas’ lowest-scoring half this season had been 28 points. This was its lowest-scoring game overall.

“We were obviously better three weeks ago than we’re playing right now,” Self said.

Baylor ended an 11-game losing streak in the series against the Jayhawks, including a 70-67 loss in Lawrence on Jan. 20. The Bears need to keep winning games to get back in position for a fifth straight NCAA Tournament berth that looked as if it was slipping out reach when they lost six of seven to end January.

BLACK EYE

Kansas’ Svi Mykhailiuk, who came in averaging 16.4 points a game, sustained a black eye when he was hit in the face by the hand of teammate Marcus Garrett while the two were shooting during pregame warmups. Mykhailiuk finished with two points on 1-of-8 shooting (0 of 6 on 3s). He came in a 46-percent shooter from long range.

“He was messed up. He was icing it the whole time,” Self said. “I think he made eight 3s in a row yesterday when we were scrimmaging, so I thought he may come out and be on fire, and he was never able to get on track.”

PROBLEMS INSIDE AND OUT

Kansas was only 6 of 31 (19 percent) on 3-pointers, with Graham and Newman a combined 6 of 20. Along with the issues deep, post players Udoka Azubuike and Mitch Lightfoot were both in foul trouble throughout the game. They played a combined 41 minutes.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Kansas is going to fall out of the top 10 when the new poll comes out Monday. The Jayhawks have already dropped out of a share of the Big 12 lead after No. 7 Texas Tech (21-4, 9-3) won 66-47 at Kansas State later Saturday night.

UP NEXT

Kansas is on the road again Tuesday night at Iowa State before consecutive home games against No. 19 West Virginia and No. 17 Oklahoma.

Baylor has a quick turnaround and a short trip, about 100 miles down I-35, to play at Texas on Monday night.