LUBBOCK, Texas — JT Toppin delivered an impressive performance with 20 points and 16 rebounds as Texas Tech secured a 70-54 victory against Arizona on Saturday, marking the Wildcats’ first loss in Big 12 Conference play after starting with six wins.

Entering the matchup with a seven-game winning streak, Arizona (11-6, 5-1) had also triumphed over Texas Tech in their previous six encounters. However, they only managed to take the lead on two occasions—first at 2-0 and then at 3-2. A three-pointer by Chance McMillian in the waning moments of the first half propelled Texas Tech (13-4, 4-2) to a 33-26 advantage as they headed into halftime.

In the second half, Trey Townsend knocked down two free throws that brought Arizona back to a tie at 33-33. Following this, Texas Tech responded with a jumper from Toppin and a three-pointer from Christian Anderson. After Toby Awaka made two free throws to narrow the gap to 51-50 with just over eight minutes remaining, his field goal a minute later brought Arizona to within one point at 53-52, but this would be the last successful shot of the game for the Wildcats.

Toppin then went on to score four consecutive points from the free-throw line, followed by two jumpers, leading the Red Raiders on a decisive 17-2 run to close out the game. Texas Tech capped the contest by scoring the final 12 points in the last five minutes.

Toppin recorded a shooting mark of 50%, hitting 7 of 14 attempts, including six offensive rebounds out of his total 16. McMillian contributed 14 points, while Anderson added 10 points from the bench. Jaden Bradley led the scoring for Arizona with 11 points, and Carter Bryant chipped in 10 points off the bench. The Wildcats struggled offensively, finishing the game with 18 of 58 shooting, including a disappointing 3 of 18 from three-point range.

This game marked the first meeting between Texas Tech and Arizona since 2013. Looking ahead, Texas Tech is set to face Cincinnati on Tuesday, while Arizona will travel to Oklahoma State on the same day.