LUBBOCK, Texas — In their first matchup as a ranked team this season, No. 22 Texas Tech triumphed over TCU with a score of 71-57 on Wednesday night. JT Toppin was instrumental in the victory, contributing 18 points and pulling down 14 rebounds, while Chance McMillian added 16 points for the Red Raiders. Elijah Hawkins also played a significant role, scoring 13 points, helping Texas Tech to their fifth consecutive win, marking the program’s best start in the Big 12 since the 2004-05 season under coach Bob Knight.
TCU’s Noah Reynolds led his team with 14 points but fouled out in the second half. The Horned Frogs, now with a record of 10-10 overall and 3-6 in conference play, have hit a rough patch, losing three straight games after previously defeating then-No. 25 Baylor on the road. Despite missing starter Darrion Williams due to a lower-body injury, Texas Tech managed to maintain control throughout the game.
Noteworthy is that TCU sophomore Vasean Allette, who averages close to 12 points per game, left the game in the second half with what appeared to be an injury. The Red Raiders took the lead back just 26 seconds after TCU briefly went ahead early in the second half, following a 3-pointer by Brendan Wenzel that put TCU up 39-38. After that moment, Texas Tech never relinquished the lead and extended their advantage to double digits with just over nine minutes left to play.
A critical moment came late in the second half when Texas Tech faced a field goal drought lasting over six minutes. This slump was finally broken by a 3-pointer from Christian Anderson, which came right after McMillian blocked a layup attempt by Trazarien White, preventing TCU from closing the gap to five points with two minutes remaining.
Although Texas Tech struggled from beyond the arc, shooting only 32%, five out of the seven players who took the court successfully made a three-point shot. Notably, four players managed to score at least two shots from deep.
Looking ahead, TCU will play three of their next five games at home, with their next match against Colorado on Sunday. Meanwhile, Texas Tech is set to visit No. 6 Houston this Saturday.
