Texas Tech 78, No. 1 Arizona 75 (OT): Toppin Leads Red Raiders to Stunning Road Upset in Tucson Thriller

No. 16 Texas Tech went into Tucson and stunned No. 1 Arizona 78–75 in overtime at McKale Center, riding a dominant performance from JT Toppin, clutch shot-making from Donovan Atwell, and a complete two-way effort from Christian Anderson. It’s just the third win over a top-ranked opponent in Red Raiders history and it ends Arizona’s unbeaten 23–0 start, dropping the Wildcats to 23–2 with a second straight loss and vaulting the Red Raiders into serious Big 12 and March contender conversations.

Toppin Owns the Glass, Owns Overtime

JT Toppin was the best player on the floor and the difference in one of the toughest road environments in college basketball.

The sophomore forward put up 31 points on 13-of-22 shooting (1-of-3 from three, 4-of-6 at the line), grabbed 13 rebounds—including seven on the offensive glass—and added three assists, two steals, and a block while playing essentially the entire 45 minutes (all but 41 seconds). He controlled the rim on both ends and repeatedly turned dead possessions into points by simply refusing to be boxed out, delivering a performance that will go down as one of the most dominant by a Big 12 player against an AP No. 1 in recent memory.

Toppin’s imprint was clearest in overtime, where he scored eight of Texas Tech’s 12 points:

• 4:52 OT: Missed a short jumper, immediately followed it, and tipped in his own miss for a 68–66 lead.

• 4:04 OT: Finished a strong layup in traffic to make it 70–68.

• 2:34 OT: Rose up for an 8-foot jumper to push the margin to 72–69.

• 1:18 OT: Knocked down another hook in the lane for a 77–73 cushion that Arizona never fully erased.

Arizona’s frontline—Motiejus Krivas, Tobe Awaka, and Ivan Kharchenkov—never solved his motor. Even when they forced him into tough looks, Toppin stayed around the rim, cleaned up misses, and dictated the most important real estate in the game.

Anderson’s Perimeter Engine, Atwell’s Daggers

Christian Anderson was the perimeter engine that kept the Red Raiders connected while Arizona tried to grind them down in the half court.

Anderson finished with 19 points on 6-of-18 shooting, hit six 3-pointers (6-of-15 from deep), and added eight assists and six rebounds, playing all 45 minutes. He repeatedly punished the Wildcats when they went under or lost him in transition and ball screens, and he orchestrated much of Tech’s offense out of pick-and-roll with Toppin, assisting on a large share of the Red Raiders’ made shots.

He hit several big threes in the first half to keep Arizona from pulling away and opened the second half with more long-range makes, including a 25-footer at 19:46 and another at 18:56 that signaled Tech wasn’t going anywhere.

If Anderson kept Tech afloat, Donovan Atwell was the closer.

Atwell finished with 11 points on 3-of-11 shooting (3-of-9 from three, 2-of-2 at the line)—a streaky line that doesn’t tell the story of how big his shots were:

• Regulation, down seven: After Arizona built a 64–57 lead with just over three minutes left, Tech began its 9–0 closing run. Toppin’s free throws and a hook shot trimmed it to 64–61, then Atwell calmly hit two free throws with 57 seconds left to make it 64–63.

• 0:25 2H: Following a defensive stop, Atwell drifted into the right corner, caught on the baseline, and buried a three over a late closeout to flip the score to 66–64 and rattle a previously roaring McKale Center.

• 2:05 OT: With Tech nursing a 72–71 lead and Arizona surging again, Atwell rose on the right wing and drilled a 24-footer off a Toppin kick-out to make it 75–71—effectively the overtime dagger.

The box score will show 11 points; the film will show two of the biggest shots of Texas Tech’s season.

Watts’ Poise in the Biggest Moments

LeJuan Watts’ counting numbers won’t match Toppin’s, but his composure in key spots was crucial for a road upset.

Officially, Watts finished with nine points and four rebounds, providing secondary creation all night by attacking off the dribble and absorbing contact. Two sequences summed up his impact:

• 10:54 2H: He drove hard to his right, finished through contact, and completed the three-point play to give Texas Tech a 49–48 lead and briefly tilt momentum away from Arizona.

• 0:04 OT: With Tech up 77–75 and McKale deafening, Watts stepped to the line and, after missing the first, calmly buried the second to make it a two-possession game at 78–75.

Arizona’s last-gasp three from Jaden Bradley at the horn missed, and that single free throw effectively sealed the road upset.

How Arizona Let It Slip

Arizona’s loss was less a collapse than a slow bleed under constant physical pressure.

The Wildcats got balanced production:

• Ivan Kharchenkov: 14 points, mixing face-ups, post touches, and a big first-half three.

• Jaden Bradley: 14 points, operating in the midrange and as the primary pick-and-roll initiator.

• Motiejus Krivas: 13 points, leveraging his size for hooks and short finishes.

• Tobe Awaka: 16 points off the bench, providing a major spark with physical scoring, offensive rebounding, and even a first-half three.

Arizona finished 24-of-61 from the field (39%) and 4-of-16 from three (25%), living mostly in the paint and at the line. The Wildcats went 23-of-31 on free throws (74%), but missed several in high-leverage moments—Krivas and Awaka each left points on the rim in the second half and overtime that loomed large once Tech caught fire.

Up 64–57 late in regulation, Arizona looked fully in control. Then:

• Texas Tech tightened the screws defensively, forcing contested midrange jumpers, tough runners, and late-clock shots.

• The Wildcats missed chances to stretch the margin back to three possessions.

• Toppin and the Red Raiders finished defensive possessions, then turned their own offensive boards into high-value second-chance points.

That 9–0 Texas Tech run—from seven down to a two-point lead on Atwell’s corner three—was the hinge point of the night.

First Half: Arizona’s Size vs. Texas Tech’s Shot-Making

The first 20 minutes mostly followed the script for a No. 1 seed at home.

Arizona dictated early terms:

• Bradley settled into his midrange game with pull-ups and floaters.

• Krivas and Awaka carved out deep post position for hooks and put-backs.

• Kharchenkov added timely buckets and work on the glass.

The Wildcats built multiple two- and three-possession leads, at one point going up 21–15 after an Awaka three from the top. Win probability spiked in their favor as they controlled pace and shot profile.

Texas Tech, though, refused to let it balloon:

• Anderson knocked down several deep threes to short-circuit Arizona runs.

• Toppin chipped away with dunks, put-backs, and short floaters that punished any lapse on the defensive glass.

• Off the bench, Leon Horner hit a big three and a late turnaround jumper to help Texas Tech briefly grab the advantage.

A late free throw from Koa Peat tied it, and the teams went to the locker room deadlocked at 32–32—a small but real win for the road underdog given how comfortable Arizona looked early.

Second Half: Arizona Surges, Red Raiders Rally From Seven Down

The second half became a high-level chess match between Arizona’s half-court execution and Texas Tech’s resilience.

Tech struck first out of the break:

• Anderson’s threes and Toppin’s continued work inside gave the Red Raiders a narrow edge and quieted McKale, if only temporarily.

Arizona adjusted and seized back control:

• Kharchenkov and Krivas reasserted themselves in the paint, while Bradley and Brayden Burries hit midrange jumpers and tough runners.

• Burries’ 22-footer with around 9:26 left stretched the lead and capped a sequence where Arizona’s length and rebounding put Tech on its heels.

By the final media timeout, the Wildcats had pushed the margin to 64–57. McKale was roaring, the win probability was north of 90%, and it looked like a top-ranked team methodically closing out a quality challenger at home.

Then came the Red Raiders’ 9–0 burst:

1. 3:15 2H: Toppin hit free throws to cut it to 64–59.

2. 2:27 2H: Toppin scored again with a hook to make it 64–61.

3. 0:57 2H: Atwell drew a foul and knocked down both free throws, 64–63.

4. 0:25 2H: After another critical stop and rebound, Atwell buried a corner three to put Tech up 66–64 and stun the crowd.

5. 0:16 2H: Kharchenkov calmly responded with two free throws to tie it at 66–66.

6. 0:00 2H: Anderson got a clean midrange look at the buzzer, but it rattled out, sending the game to overtime.

From seven down on the road with just over three minutes to play, Texas Tech had dragged the No. 1 team in the country into extra time.

Overtime: Red Raiders Close Like a Top Seed

Once the extra five minutes began, the Red Raiders played with the poise of a group that’s been there before.

Key OT sequence:

• Toppin takes over: Tip-in for 68–66, strong layup for 70–68, then an 8-foot jumper for 72–69.

• Arizona hangs on: Burries and Awaka combined at the line and in the paint to trim it to 72–71 and later 75–73.

• Atwell dagger: The 24-foot three off a Toppin kick-out at 2:05 pushed it to 75–71 and swung momentum hard back to Tech.

• Toppin again: His hook at 1:18 made it 77–73, giving the Red Raiders just enough cushion.

• Final push: Awaka scored to make it 77–75, but Tech came up with stops, and Watts’ split at the line with four seconds left made it 78–75. Bradley’s contested look from deep at the horn missed, and the Red Raiders secured the rebound and the upset.

Defensively, Texas Tech forced Arizona into a diet of contested twos and late-clock threes in overtime. Bradley and Kharchenkov both got shots they’ve hit all year, but the cumulative effect of 40-plus minutes of contact, plus Toppin’s dominance on the glass, showed up when it mattered most.

By the Numbers

Texas Tech (No. 16 Red Raiders)

• 78 points

• 27-of-66 FG (41%)

• 11-of-33 3FG (33%)

• 13-of-19 FT (68%)

• 39 rebounds (12 offensive)

• 12 assists

• 8 turnovers

Arizona (No. 1 Wildcats)

• 75 points

• 24-of-61 FG (39%)

• 4-of-16 3FG (25%)

• 23-of-31 FT (74%)

• 41 rebounds (12 offensive)

• 13 assists

• 8 turnovers

Arizona won the overall rebounding battle by two, but the quality of Texas Tech’s offensive boards—especially Toppin’s seven—translated directly into second-chance points that swung high-leverage possessions.

What It Means

For Texas Tech, this is a landmark:

• Just the third win over a No. 1 teamin program history.

• A statement that the Red Raiders’ physical, defense-first identity travels—even into McKale Center.

• A major seed-line anchor that will sit at the top of their NCAA tournament profile and fuel national buzz about their March ceiling.

For Arizona, it’s a gut-check moment:

• The Wildcats’ perfect 23–0 start is gone, and this is now their second straight loss, dropping them to 23–2.

• Late-game execution against physical defenses remains a concern, particularly when they’re not getting separation from the three-point line.

• Missed free throws in key moments and an inability to finish defensive possessions against an elite rebounder like Toppin proved costly.

In Tucson, though, this night belonged to Texas Tech and JT Toppin—a road upset that felt every bit like an instant March classic.