JT Toppin powered No. 20 Texas Tech back into the win column Wednesday night, posting 19 points and 16 rebounds as the Red Raiders rolled past New Orleans 82–50 in Lubbock.
It was the response Tech needed after a humbling 30-point defeat to top-ranked Purdue five days earlier in the Bahamas. From the moment the ball tipped, the Red Raiders (5–2) played like a team intent on resetting their trajectory. Toppin, the preseason AP All-America junior forward, set the tone early and kept it all night, securing his third double-double of the season—and the 22nd of his career in just 39 games.
Freshman guard Christian Anderson delivered one of his sharpest outings yet, pouring in 23 points, drilling six threes and dishing five assists. Donovan Atwell contributed 13 points in 23 energetic minutes before fouling out with just under nine minutes remaining, while Luke Bamgboye added 13 and LeJuan Watts chipped in 12 to round out a balanced offensive performance.
The win extends Texas Tech’s remarkable nonconference home streak to 43 straight victories—20 of them under third-year head coach Grant McCasland. The program hasn’t dropped a non-league home game since falling to No. 15 Kentucky in an overtime thriller back in January 2020.
Jakevion Buckley led the Privateers (2–5) with 16 points, but New Orleans—still without a true home game this season and just two days removed from an overtime loss at Mississippi State—couldn’t keep pace once Tech hit its stride.
A 10–0 burst midway through the first half, ignited by an Anderson three, lifted the Red Raiders in front for good. After halftime, Tech wasted no time closing the door: Toppin opened a 12–2 run with six straight points, pushing the lead into double digits where it stayed the rest of the way.
Up Next
New Orleans travels to Memphis for a Wednesday matchup. Texas Tech returns to United Supermarkets Arena on Sunday to host Wyoming.
