WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kerwin Walton scored a career-high 27 points and No. 3 seed Texas Tech attempted an NCAA Tournament-record 46 3-pointers in an 82-72 victory over No. 14 seed UNC Wilmington on Thursday night.
The Red Raiders raced to a 16-point lead, lost most of it by going cold in the final 6 1/2 minutes of the first half and then made enough plays down the stretch to recover after the Seahawks went ahead with about 14 minutes remaining.
Texas Tech (26-8) finished 13 for 46 behind the arc, breaking the tournament record of 43 attempts by Saint Joseph’s in a 1997 second-round game against Boston College. The 46 3s also set a school record.
Elijah Hawkins contributed 14 points for the Red Raiders and Darrion Williams had 13 to set up a second-round matchup with No. 11 seed Drake on Saturday. Big 12 Player of the Year JT Toppin had 12 points and 10 rebounds for his 16th double-double of the season.
Nolan Hodge scored 18 points for UNC Wilmington (27-8), the Coastal Athletic Association Champion. The Seahawks shot 41% from the floor.
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Cody Friesen, The Associated Press
