TCU did just enough to catch Texas Tech’s attention on Wednesday. Once the 22nd-ranked Red Raiders got their wake-up call, however, they settled back in as one of the hottest teams in the Big 12 Conference.
JT Toppin logged his seventh double-double of the season with 18 points and 14 rebounds, Chance McMillian scored 16 and Texas Tech survived a late scoring drought to grind out a 71-57 victory in Lubbock, Texas.
The Red Raiders (16-4, 7-2 Big 12) have won five in a row since a one-point overtime loss to Iowa State on Jan. 11.
Noah Reynolds led TCU (10-10, 3-6 Big 12) with 14 points before fouling out on a night when he wrestled with foul trouble the entire second half.
Texas Tech led 32-29 at halftime but came out of the locker room a little wobbly and fell behind 39-38 when TCU’s Brendan Wenzel pumped in a 3-pointer at the 16:36 juncture of the second period.
That make from downtown was a rarity for the Horned Frogs, who made only 2-of-13 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc over the final 20 minutes and 5-for-18 in the game. Wenzel scored 11 points, but that was his only made shot of the second half.
By contrast, Texas Tech rediscovered its shooting touch from deep when it mattered most. The Red Raiders drilled three long bombs in a four-minute stretch after Wenzel’s go-ahead shot and finished the second half 6 of 15 after making only 4 of 16 in the initial 20 minutes. McMillian hit a pair of treys on the way to 13 second-half points.
Toppin answered Wenzel’s bucket with an inside basket 26 seconds later, which triggered a 10-3 Red Raiders surge. When Elijah Hawkins knocked down a 3-pointer with 12:48 left in the game, Texas Tech was back in control with a 48-42 lead.
Reynolds connected on a mid-range jumper to keep the Horned Frogs close, 51-46. But McMillian buried a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession and the Red Raiders got back-to-back second-chance hoops for a quick 7-0 burst that nudged the lead to double digits.
TCU finished the second half shooting 30 percent (9 of 30) and missed nine of 10 floor shots after Wenzel put the Horned Frogs on top.
–Field Level Media
