JT Toppin Helps No. 13 Texas Tech Seal 70-63 Win at West Virginia

Sophomore forward JT Toppin led No. 13 Texas Tech with 22 points and nine rebounds to secure a 70-63 victory over West Virginia at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown on Sunday, snapping the Red Raiders' recent two-game losing streak. The victory was critical for Texas Tech as they look to maintain their standing in the competitive Big 12 Conference, while the loss marked a rare home defeat for a West Virginia team that had previously won 13 of its last 14 games on home soil. The Red Raiders dominated from the perimeter, successfully connecting on 13 shots from beyond the arc while the Mountaineers struggled significantly, missing 20 of their 22 total three-point attempts. Despite a push early in the second half where West Virginia scored four consecutive layups to cut a 13-point deficit down to four, Texas Tech responded with a flurry of long-distance scoring. Successive three-pointers from Jaylen Petty, Donovan Atwell, and Toppin within a two-minute window allowed the Red Raiders to extend their lead to 15 points with just over 13 minutes remaining in the contest. Individual performances heavily dictated the flow of the game, with Texas Tech's backcourt receiving a boost from Christian Anderson, who returned from an illness to record 13 points and 11 assists. Conversely, West Virginia's leading scorer, Honor Huff, was limited to just six points by a disciplined Texas Tech defense. While Brenen Lorient kept the Mountaineers competitive with a 20-point performance, the team’s poor execution at the free-throw line—converting only 57% of their attempts—prevented them from mounting a successful late-game comeback. The matchup also served as a narrative backdrop for a coaching reunion between West Virginia’s first-year head coach Ross Hodge and Texas Tech’s Grant McCasland. Hodge previously served as an assistant under McCasland for seven seasons across two programs before succeeding him at North Texas. Looking forward, the Red Raiders will return home to face Colorado on Wednesday, while West Virginia prepares for a road game against UCF on Saturday.