No. 12 Texas Tech Red Raiders Hold Off No. 6 Houston Cougars
For nearly two full calendar years, the Houston Cougars were the boogeymen of college basketball road trips. They walked into opposing arenas, ignored the student sections, and walked out with wins. Sixteen straight times, to be exact. It was a conference record that felt like it might just last forever given how Kelvin Sampson’s squads usually defend.
But on Saturday in Lubbock, the music finally stopped. The No. 12 Texas Tech Red Raiders didn’t just beat the Cougars; they engaged them in a high-octane shootout and came out on top, 90-86. It was Houston’s first true road loss since Feb. 3, 2024.
A First-Half Ambush at United Supermarkets Arena
Usually, playing Houston is like trying to run through waist-deep mud. They slow you down, they suffocate you, and they make you hate the game of basketball. Texas Tech apparently didn’t get that memo.
Grant McCasland’s squad came out with a game plan that can best be described as “scorched earth.” The Red Raiders hung a staggering 55 points on the board in the first half alone. For context, there are games where Sampson’s teams don’t give up 55 points in 40 minutes.
The atmosphere in Lubbock was electric, fueling an offensive explosion that had the Cougars reeling. It wasn’t just luck; it was execution. Tech found gaps in the nation’s toughest defense and exploited them with surgical precision, building a lead that forced Houston to play a desperate game of catch-up for the rest of the afternoon.
The Iron Men Of Texas Tech
You want to talk about stamina? Let’s talk about JT Toppin and Christian Anderson. In an era where load management is a thing and rotations run deep, these two played every single second of the game.
Toppin was the undisputed MVP of the upset. He didn’t just play; he dominated. Finishing with 31 points and 12 rebounds, he was a force in the paint that Houston simply couldn’t solve. He was active on the glass, efficient from the floor, and seemingly everywhere at once.
Meanwhile, Anderson was the maestro conducting the symphony. He logged the full 40 minutes alongside Toppin, dishing out 9 assists to go with his 12 points. When your point guard and your big man refuse to sit down and refuse to lose, you’re in pretty good shape.
Kingston Fleming: The 42-Point Silver Lining
If there is a moral victory for Houston in this loss, his name is Kingston Flemings. It is rare to see a freshman put a top-tier team on his back in a hostile environment, but Fleming did exactly that. He was unconscious from the floor, pouring in a career-high 42 points on 15-of-26 shooting. He hit four three-pointers and seemingly had an answer every time Texas Tech tried to pull away.
Scoring 42 points in a regulation college game is absurd. Doing it as a freshman against a ranked opponent on the road? That’s legendary stuff. While Emanuel Sharp chipped in a respectable 20 points, the offense was largely the Flemings show.
What This Means For the Big 12 Standings
This result shakes up the top of the conference significantly. Houston falls to 17-2 overall and 5-1 in the Big 12, reminding the world that they are, in fact, mortal. Texas Tech improves to 16-4 (6-1), proving they are legitimate contenders for the crown.
The Cougars won’t have much time to lick their wounds. They have to bounce back immediately against TCU on Wednesday if they want to start building a new streak. Tech, on the other hand, gets a well-deserved week off to rest its legs before heading to UCF.
The streak is over, but if Saturday was any indication, the race for the Big 12 title is just getting started. And if we get more games like this one? We’re all winners.
