On a raucous Saturday night at McKale Center—now officially ALKEME Arena—the Texas Tech Red Raiders delivered a performance for the ages, stunning the top-ranked Arizona Wildcats 78-75 in overtime. In a contest loaded with drama, momentum swings, and a host of standout performances, it was JT Toppin, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year, who stole the show with a career-defining 31 points and 13 rebounds. Toppin’s heroics not only powered the 16th-ranked Red Raiders to their fourth win this season over a ranked opponent, but also etched his name into the college basketball history books.
From the opening tip, the energy in Tucson was electric. Arizona, fresh off its first loss of the season to Kansas, was looking to rebound and protect its perfect home record. But the Wildcats’ night quickly turned challenging. Freshman forward Koa Peat, Arizona’s second-leading scorer, failed to attempt a field goal in the first half and did not return after halftime due to a lower-leg injury. His absence left the Wildcats shorthanded, especially with reserve Dwayne Aristode also sidelined by illness. As ESPN reported, Peat’s status for Wednesday’s matchup against BYU remains uncertain.
Despite the adversity, Arizona (now 23-2, 10-2 Big 12) showed remarkable depth. Five Wildcats finished in double figures, with Tobe Awaka and Brayden Burries each posting 16 points. Motiejus Krivas contributed a double-double of his own—10 points and 11 rebounds—while Ivan Kharchenkov and Jaden Bradley chipped in 13 and 11 points, respectively. Awaka was especially effective off the bench, adding 12 rebounds to his tally.
The Red Raiders (19-6, 9-3 Big 12), meanwhile, leaned heavily on their stars. Toppin’s historic night was complemented by sophomore guard Christian Anderson, who played all 45 minutes and stuffed the stat sheet with 19 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. Donovan Atwell was the only other Red Raider in double figures, finishing with 11 points—including a pair of crucial three-pointers in crunch time.
It was a game of contrasting styles. Texas Tech, notorious for its love of the three-point shot, hoisted 33 attempts from beyond the arc, connecting on 11. Arizona, by contrast, attempted just 16 threes, making four. Still, both teams battled to a dead heat in the paint, each recording 26 points—well below Arizona’s usual average, a testament to the Red Raiders’ gritty interior defense.
The contest was tight throughout, with neither team able to build an insurmountable lead. The first half ended deadlocked at 32 apiece. Arizona briefly surged ahead in the second half, buoyed by a rare layup from seldom-used forward Sidi Gueye—inserted by coach Tommy Lloyd to compensate for Peat’s absence. The Wildcats pushed their advantage to seven points with just over three minutes remaining in regulation, but that’s when Texas Tech’s resilience shone through.
Trailing 64-57, the Red Raiders rattled off a 9-0 run as Arizona went ice-cold, missing seven consecutive shots. After a missed layup by Bradley and a failed tip-in from Krivas, Atwell drilled a 3-pointer with 25 seconds left, giving Texas Tech a 66-64 lead. Kharchenkov answered with two clutch free throws to tie the game at 66. With the clock winding down, Anderson’s last-second floater bounced off the rim, sending the game to overtime.
Overtime belonged to Toppin. He scored the Red Raiders’ first six points in the extra period, including a putback after Krivas blocked Anderson’s shot. Texas Tech seized a 72-69 lead, and after Burries cut it to one with two free throws, Atwell struck again from deep—this time from the left corner—to push the margin to 75-71 with just over two minutes left. Awaka responded with a pair of free throws and a putback, keeping Arizona within striking distance.
With 59 seconds left, the Wildcats trailed by just two. But Texas Tech’s relentless pursuit of offensive rebounds paid dividends, burning precious seconds off the clock. LeJuan Watts was fouled with 4.5 seconds remaining, making one of two free throws to give the Red Raiders a 78-75 cushion. Arizona’s last gasp—a hurried three-point attempt by Bradley at the buzzer—fell short, and the Red Raiders erupted in celebration.
Statistically, Toppin’s night was nothing short of extraordinary. According to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, he became the only player in at least 20 years to record at least 30 points and 10 rebounds with zero turnovers against a top-ranked team. He also joined North Carolina’s Luke Maye as the only players to post a 30-point, 10-rebound line in a road victory against a No. 1 team. As the Big 12 noted, Toppin is just the second player in conference history to tally a 30-point double-double against an AP No. 1 squad.
“JT Toppin with 31 points and 13 boards as Texas Tech goes to Tucson and knocks off No. 1 Arizona at McKale,” tweeted Jeff Goodman, reflecting the national buzz around Toppin’s brilliant display. Ryan Mainville echoed the sentiment, calling it a “season-defining win.” Jon Rothstein described it as “a seismic win for Texas Tech at Arizona.”
The victory marked just the third time in school history that Texas Tech has defeated a top-ranked team, and the first since a 65-62 win over Baylor in January 2022. It also capped a remarkable stretch for Grant McCasland’s squad, who have notched victories this season over BYU (then No. 11), Houston (No. 6), and Duke (No. 3). The Red Raiders are battle-tested, having faced a brutal schedule that included losses to Illinois, Purdue, and Arkansas, but they’ve emerged as one of the nation’s most resilient teams.
For Arizona, the loss stings. After a dream 23-0 start, the Wildcats have now dropped two in a row, both in nail-biting fashion. Their inability to establish dominance in the paint, coupled with Peat’s injury and Aristode’s illness, left them scrambling for answers. The Wildcats only out-rebounded Texas Tech by two—their smallest margin of the season—and shot just 39% from the field, only the second time all year they’ve been held below 40%.
Coach Tommy Lloyd will have to regroup quickly, as Arizona faces BYU next. The status of Koa Peat looms large, and the Wildcats will hope to get healthier and rediscover their early-season magic.
As the dust settles in Tucson, one thing is clear: Texas Tech’s victory was no fluke. With Toppin playing at an All-American level and McCasland’s Red Raiders proving they can win anywhere, the Big 12 race—and the national title chase—just got a whole lot more interesting.