TUCSON, Ariz. – A school-record win streak is a distant memory for No. 1 Arizona. Life in the Big 12, as Texas Tech demonstrated emphatically on Saturday, comes at you fast.
The Wildcats suffered their second consecutive loss, falling 78-75 in overtime to No. 16 Texas Tech at the McKale Center at ALKEME Arena. Arizona opened the season 23-0, but now finds itself navigating a rare skid as conference play intensifies.
JT Toppin was the dominant force for the Red Raiders (19-6, 9-3 Big 12), finishing with 31 points and 13 rebounds. His relentless effort on the offensive glass, including a crucial board with under a minute remaining in overtime, proved pivotal. Jaden Bradley’s potential game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer in overtime missed its mark.
The game was tightly contested throughout. Ivan Kharchenkov tied the score with two free throws with 16.4 seconds left in regulation, forcing the extra period after Christian Anderson’s last-second attempt fell short.
Toppin’s performance was a masterclass in efficiency, shooting 13 of 22 from the field. Anderson added 19 points and eight assists, orchestrating the Red Raiders’ offense and contributing to over half of their field goals. Texas Tech shot 40.9 percent overall and overcame a shaky 3-point shooting night (11 of 33) by excelling in the paint and on second-chance opportunities, going 5 of 8 from the field in overtime.
Arizona’s struggles were compounded by the absence of Dwayne Aristode due to illness and a lower-body injury to Koa Peat, who did not play in the second half after scoring two points in 11 minutes. The Wildcats were forced to rely on a shortened rotation, which ultimately proved detrimental down the stretch.
Brayden Burries led Arizona with 16 points, though he shot just 4 of 12 from the field. Tobe Awaka contributed a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Motiejus Krivas added 10 points and 11 rebounds. Despite finishing with a +2 rebounding margin, Arizona managed a season-low 26 points in the paint, a clear indication of Texas Tech’s defensive effectiveness.
Bradley struggled with his shot, going 4 of 14 from the field, and Arizona as a whole shot just 39.3 percent from the field and a dismal 4 of 16 from three-point range. The Wildcats’ offense sputtered in the final minutes of regulation and overtime, missing 10 of their last 13 shots.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair, ending in a 32-32 tie. Texas Tech started the second half strong, hitting two quick three-pointers to take a four-point lead. Kharchenkov answered with a dunk, and after a missed free throw, Krivas tied the game at 39.
A brief scare for Texas Tech occurred when Anderson picked up his third foul early in the second half. A questionable initial call for his fourth foul was later overturned after a media timeout, allowing him to remain in the game.
With Peat sidelined, Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd turned to freshman Sidi Gueye with 12:21 remaining. Gueye briefly gave the Wildcats a 46-44 lead with a layup.
Four consecutive points from Burries extended Arizona’s lead to 52-49 before Toppin scored on a putback, marking Texas Tech’s first second-chance points of the game. A three-pointer by Burries and a layup by Kharchenkov off an out-of-bounds play gave Arizona a 59-53 lead with 6:18 remaining, their largest of the second half.
Arizona maintained a two-possession lead for the next four minutes until Toppin scored four straight points to bring Texas Tech within 64-61 with 2:26 left. Donovan Atwell then made two free throws with 57.6 seconds remaining to make it a one-point game.
Atwell then gave Texas Tech a 66-64 lead with 25.4 seconds left on a corner three-pointer following another empty Arizona possession. That capped a 9-0 run for the Red Raiders, with the Wildcats going the final 3:25 of regulation without a field goal.
In overtime, Toppin continued to dominate, securing two putbacks early to give Texas Tech a 72-69 lead. Atwell hit another three-pointer to extend the lead to four with 2:03 remaining. After Awaka scored to bring Arizona within two, Texas Tech methodically ran down the clock, securing multiple offensive rebounds to seal the victory.
Texas Tech started the game 0 for 7 from the field, including five missed three-pointers, before finding its rhythm. They finished the first half shooting 6 of 22.
A three-pointer by Awaka gave Arizona a 21-15 lead, and they extended it to eight on a pair of Burries free throws. However, Texas Tech battled back, capitalizing on Arizona turnovers and missed free throws to tie the game at 29 with 2:04 left in the first half.
Kharchenkov’s half-court shot at the buzzer rimmed out, narrowly missing giving Arizona the lead at halftime.
Arizona will look to rebound on Wednesday when No. 22 BYU visits Tucson. The Wildcats will be sporting special “Galaxy Slam” uniforms to celebrate the university’s space exploration initiatives.
