The University of Arizona men’s basketball team (11-6, 5-1 in Big 12) suffered a stunning 70-54 defeat, snapping its seven-game win streak to Texas Tech University (13-4, 4-2 in Big 12) on Saturday, Jan. 18 at noon in United Supermarkets Arena.
In the first meeting between the two programs in 12 years, the Wildcats were spearheaded by Jaden Bradley and Carter Bryant, who scored a combined 21 points. Bradley tallied 11 points along with four rebounds and three assists while Bryant contributed 10 points, shooting an impressive 4-of-5 from the field. Texas Tech forward and leading scorer, JT Toppin, completed the game with a double-double, scoring 20 points and securing 16 rebounds.
Arizona struggled offensively, as Texas Tech held the Wildcats to shoot just 31 percent from the field. Defensively, Tobe Awaka collected 14 rebounds for Arizona, but the Wildcats’ efforts wouldn’t be enough to stop the Red Raiders.
First half
Texas Tech came out hot as Chance McMillian scored a 3-pointer off a turnover early in the first period, creating a 4-point lead for the Red Raiders. As the lead stretched to 5 points with Arizona trailing 12-7, the Wildcats called a timeout with six and a half minutes remaining.
Out of the timeout, Arizona kept the Raiders from scoring for two minutes but stretched their lead back to 6-points after a shot from beyond the arc by Kevin Overton.
Trying to narrow the lead, Bryant made a 3-pointer of his own, shrinking the score to 17-14. Trey Townsend made a layup, steadying the game until Texas Tech Darrion Williams hit a jumper to bring the Raiders up by 7 points.
Bryant hit a shot from beyond the arc, narrowing the lead to 28-24 with 1:57 left to go in the first half. Despite Arizona’s efforts to take over the lead, Texas Tech ended the first period leading 33-26 after McMillian hit a 3-pointer.
Arizona only had 1 second-chance point compared to the Raiders’ 7 points, contributing to their poor offensive performance. The Wildcats were also outrebounded in the first half 25-17 by Texas Tech, adding to their struggles.
Bryant stood out in the first half, leading and finishing with 10 points after shooting 4-of-5 from the field.
Second half
Coming out of halftime, Bradley scored back-to-back shots followed by two free-throws made by Townsend that tied the game at 33, bringing Arizona back in the game.
Soon after, the Red Raiders went on a 7-3 scoring run to stop the Wildcats from taking over the lead. The 40-35 lead quickly turned to a one-possession game after Dell’Orso made a layup, forcing a Texas Tech timeout.
Both programs traded shots back-and-forth, but Texas Tech continued to keep a comfortable space between the scores.
With under 11 minutes remaining in the second half, Caleb Love was fouled on a 3-point shot as he headed to the line for three free throws. After making the shots, Arizona got within 3 points of the 51-48 lead.
Awaka made it a 1-point game multiple times, but Texas Tech was fouled by Arizona on several occasions. This pushed the lead back to 7 points with 3:40 left in regulation. The Red Raiders ended the game on a 13-0 run, holding the Wildcats scoreless for the remaining minutes left in the game.
Texas Tech handed Arizona its first conference loss of the season, snapping the Wildcats’ seven-game win streak with a decisive 70-54 defeat.
Both teams struggled offensively with Texas Tech shooting 36.4 percent from the floor overall and Arizona was held to a 27.6 shooting percentage in the second half. The Wildcats shot a disappointing 1-for-12 from the 3-point line during the second half. Throughout the game, Arizona converted on only 5 second-chance points, while the Raiders managed 15.
Looking ahead
Arizona continues its two-game road trip looking to get back in the win column as the Wildcats prepare to face Oklahoma State University on Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
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