No. 13 Texas Tech Regains Momentum With 70 to 63 Road Win Over West Virginia

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In a breaking update with Big 12 implications, No. 13 Texas Tech responded to recent setbacks by earning a composed 70 to 63 road victory over West Virginia on Sunday, snapping a two game skid and handing the Mountaineers just their second home loss of the season.

The Red Raiders improved to 17 and 6 overall and 7 and 3 in conference play, reasserting themselves in the league race with a disciplined performance built on perimeter shooting and ball control. West Virginia fell to 15 and 9 overall and 6 and 5 in the Big 12 after struggling to generate consistent offense against Texas Tech’s defensive pressure.

JT Toppin led the way with 22 points and 9 rebounds, continuing his role as one of the conference’s most reliable scorers. Entering the game as the Big 12’s third leading scorer at 21.8 points per game, Toppin rebounded from a season low output earlier in the week with an efficient and physical effort in the paint and from the perimeter.

Donovan Atwell added 15 points while Christian Anderson returned from a one game illness absence to post 13 points and 11 assists, giving Texas Tech balance and tempo control throughout the contest. The Red Raiders never trailed, setting the tone early and steadily building separation with timely three point shooting.

West Virginia made a push immediately after halftime, opening the second half with four straight layups to cut a 13 point deficit to 39 to 35. The momentum was short lived, however, as the Mountaineers went more than four minutes without a field goal. Texas Tech capitalized with a decisive stretch in which Jaylen Petty, Atwell and Toppin each connected from long range, extending the lead to 52 to 37 with 13 minutes remaining.

Brenen Lorient scored 20 points to lead West Virginia and added nine in the final four minutes, but the late surge was not enough to overcome a difficult shooting night. The Mountaineers missed 20 of 22 attempts from three point range and converted just 13 of 23 free throws, inefficiencies that proved costly against a disciplined opponent.

Texas Tech finished with 13 made three pointers, a stark contrast that underscored the outcome. West Virginia leading scorer Honor Huff was limited to six points, well below his season average, as the Red Raiders prioritized defensive matchups and help coverage.

Beyond the box score, the game carried added context with West Virginia first year head coach Ross Hodge facing mentor Grant McCasland. Hodge previously spent seven seasons on McCasland’s staff at Arkansas State and North Texas before succeeding him as head coach at North Texas when McCasland took the Texas Tech job in 2023.

What this means moving forward is clear. Texas Tech steadies its outlook in the Big 12 standings and regains confidence heading into the next stretch of conference play. West Virginia, still strong at home overall, faces a tightening margin as the league schedule intensifies.

Up next, Texas Tech returns home to host Colorado on Wednesday.

West Virginia travels to UCF on Saturday looking to rebound and reestablish offensive rhythm.