KANSAS STATE 65, TEXAS TECH 46: Shane Southwell scored a career-high 13 points and host Kansas State’s suffocating defense held Texas Tech to a season low in an easy victory.

The win was a critical one for the Wildcats (17-6, 6-5 Big 12), who climbed above .500 in conference play and are alone in fifth. Kansas State will play three top-10 teams in the next two weeks.

Rodney McGruder and Will Spradling each finished with 10 points for the Wildcats, who took a 31-17 halftime lead and extended the advantage to 45-20 nine minutes into the second half.

Luke Adams had a career-high 15 points and Jordan Tolbert added 11 points and eight rebounds for the Red Raiders (7-16, 0-11 Big 12), the conference’s lone winless team. Texas Tech shot just 28 percent and committed 22 turnovers.

The last time Kansas State held a Big 12 opponent to fewer than 50 points was Feb. 21, 2009, when Iowa State managed just 46. Texas Tech’s previous season low was 47.

The Wildcats, who won their fifth straight against Texas Tech, shot just 30 percent from the field. Late in the second half, they suffered a near-eight minute scoring drought, misfiring on six straight attempts.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Twelve minutes in, there were more combined missed shots (25) than points (21) … Texas Tech didn’t make its first basket of the second half until the 10:12 mark, trailing 45-22 …The Red Raiders’ five starters went a combined 4-of-18 from the field … Texas Tech went on a 14-3 run late.