By R.L. Bynum
Kerwin Walton has always had prolific perimeter shooting potential and showed that off Saturday in his first start of the season.
Walton scored 17 points and five 3-pointers, both season-highs, as Texas Tech snapped an eight-game losing streak by winning at LSU 76–68 in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge.
After the game, his teammates gave him a water shower in the dressing room and lifted him up in celebration.
“I’m just happy we got the ball rolling,” said Walton, whose team’s previous victory was over South Carolina State on Dec. 27. “I think we really needed that one. We’ve been desperate for a while, and I’m glad we won. I think everybody stepped up.”
Walton scored back-to-back 3-pointers for his first points of the game near the end of the first half. He again scored 3s on consecutive possessions to give the Red Raiders (11–10) a 51–46 edge with 11 minutes left in the game. After LSU took a 58–57 lead with 7:33 left, a Walton 3-pointer started Texas Tech’s game-ending 16–10 run.
“He is a guy who works every day in the gym on his 3-point shooting. If anybody deserved to have a night like he did, it would be him,” Texas Tech coach Mark Adams said. “He went 5 of 6 from 3, and he is just a guy who is very dedicated to working on his game. There is no surprise for what we saw today. What a great performance.”
His five 3-pointers tied his career-high set on Feb. 21, 2021, when he scored a career-high 19 points in Carolina’s 99–54 home victory over Louisville.
Walton is shooting 50% from 3-point range on the season (21 of 42) and has scored 102 career 3-pointers.
He started in place of freshman guard Pop Isaacs, who suffered an ankle injury in the second half of the Red Raiders’ 76–61 home loss to West Virginia. Walton played 21 minutes, the most since he scored 12 points in 22 minutes in an 81–74 Jan. 17 home loss to Baylor.
Walton had combined for six points in Texas Tech’s previous two games, a 68–58 Jan. 21 loss at No. 5 Kansas State and the loss to West Virginia.
Texas Tech, 0–8 and in last place in the Big 12, tries to get its first league win Monday night at home against No. 12 Iowa State (ESPN2).
Andrew Platek scored 18 points and two 3-pointers in Siena’s 70–53 home win Friday over Iona after netting 15 points and three 3-pointers in last Sunday’s 62–52 home loss to Fairfield.
The Saints (14–7) are in first place in the MAAC at 8–2, with a one-game lead over Rider. They play at Marist at 2 p.m. Sunday (ESPN3).
Jeremiah Francis has scored in double figures in consecutive games for the first time this season for Division II Emmanuel, which has won seven consecutive games. He scored 12 points and two 3-pointers in Wednesday’s 75–62 win at Belmont Abbey and 13 points in Saturday’s home win over Chowan. In his two games before that, he combined for six points.
The Lions (14–7, 10–3) are tied with Barton for second place in Conference Carolinas, two games behind UNC Pembroke.
Dawson Garica missed both Minnesota games this week, a 61–57 Wednesday home loss to Indiana and an 81–61 road defeat Saturday at Northwestern, with a bone bruise in his right foot.
In his previous two games, he scored seven points in a Jan. 19 home loss to No. 1 Purdue 61–49 and 13 in a 60–56 road defeat at Michigan.
The Gophers (7–13) are last in the Big Ten 10 at 1–9 and have lost five consecutive games.
Checking in on 4 former Heels
Jeremiah Francis, Emmanuel College guard
6–1, 190 pounds | Junior | UNC 2019–20 (1 season)
74–66 Jan. 18 win at Lees-McRae — Started; 24 minutes, 2 points, 1–8 FG, 0–3 3FG, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 steal
69–52 Jan. 21 win vs. Erskine — Started; 28 minutes, 4 points, 1–6 FG, 1–4 3FG, 1–2 FT, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 steal
74–62 Wednesday win at Belmont Abbey — Started; 30 minutes, 12 points, 4–6 FG, 2–3 3FG, 2–2 FT, 3 rebounds, 1 foul, 1 assist, 1 steal
86–62 Saturday win vs. Chowan — Started; 29 minutes, 13 points, 5–9 FG, 1–3 3FG, 2–2 FT, 3 rebounds, 3 fouls, 2 assists, 3 steals
Season statistics — 19 games, 19 starts, 7.7 points, 36.8% FG, 25.0 3FG%, 78.8 FT%, 2.6 rebounds; totals of 43 assists, 18 steals and 1 block
Up next — 7 p.m. Wednesday at King; 4 p.m. Saturday at Southern Wesleyan
Dawson Garcia, Minnesota forward
6–11, 230 pounds | Sophomore | UNC 2020–21 (part of 1 season)
61–39 Jan. 19 loss vs. Purdue — Started; 27 minutes, 7 points, 3–13 FG, 0–2 3FG, 1–1 FT, 6 rebounds, 2 fouls, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 2 blocks
60–56 Jan. 22 loss at Michigan — Started; 26 minutes, 13 points, 5–10 FG, 3–6 3FG, 2 rebounds, 4 fouls, 3 assists, 7 turnovers
61–57 Wednesday loss vs. Indiana and 81–61 Saturday loss at Northwestern— Didn’t play (bone bruise in right foot)
Season statistics — 18 games, 18 starts, 14.9 points, 44.7 FG%, 32.3 3FG%, 71.6 FT%, 6.3 rebounds; totals of 33 assists, 10 steals, 11 blocks
Up next — 8:30 Wednesday at Rutgers, Big Ten Network; 9 p.m. Saturday vs. Maryland, Big Ten Network
Andrew Platek, Siena guard
6–4, 208 pounds | Graduate student | UNC 2017–21 (4 seasons)
72–57 Jan. 20 win vs. Mount St. Mary’s — Started; 19 minutes, 9 points, 3–8 FG, 3–6 3FG, 2 rebounds, 2 fouls, 1 assist, 2 turnovers
62–52 Jan. 22 loss vs. Fairfield — Started; 31 minutes, 15 points, 6–11 FG, 3–5 3FG, 2 rebounds, 1 foul, 1 assist, 1 turnover
70–53 Friday win vs. Iona — Started; 34 minutes, 18 points, 7–12 FG, 2–5 3FG, 2–3 FT. 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover, 2 steals
Season statistics — 21 games, 21 starts, 10.7 points, 48.2 FG%, 45.6 3FG%, 61.5 FT%, 2.6 rebounds; totals of 30 assists, 20 steals, 4 blocks
Up next — 2 p.m. Sunday at Marist, ESPN3; 7 p.m. Friday at Manhattan, ESPN3
Kerwin Walton, Texas Tech guard
6–5, 200 pounds | Junior | UNC 2020–22 (2 seasons)
68–58 Jan. 21 loss at No. 5 Kansas State — 7 minutes, 3 points, 1–1 FG, 1–1 3FG, 2 fouls
76–61 Wednesday loss vs. West Virginia — 14 minutes, 3 points, 1–3 FG, 1–2 3FG, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 5 fouls
76–68 Saturday win at LSU — Started; 21 minutes, 17 points, 6–7 FG, 5–6 3FG, 1 rebound, 3 fouls, 1 turnover
Season statistics — 19 games, 1 start, 4.3 points, 52.8 FG%, 50 3P%, 83.3 FT%, 1.0 rebounds; season totals of 9 assists, 3 steals, 4 blocks
Up next — 9 p.m. Monday vs. Iowa State, ESPN2; 1 p.m. Saturday at Baylor, CBS
Photo via @TexasTechMBB
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