A short-handed Arizona without frontcourt performer Koa Peat in the second half because of a lower body injury was a factor for Texas Tech post player JT Toppin having the hot hand in the 16th-ranked Red Raiders’ 78-75 overtime win at McKale Center at ALKEME Arena.
Toppin had 31 points, eight in overtime, and pulled down 13 rebounds to lead the Red Raiders (19-6, 9-3 Big 12) countering Arizona’s strength of scoring in the paint. Both team finished with 26 points in the paint, 20 below the Wildcats’ average.
Toppin achieved his 16th double-double of the season.
Peat, who did not attempt a field goal in the first half, did not immediately join the team on the floor at the start of the second half. He later joined the team on the bench after ESPN reported he was out for the rest of the game with a lower-leg injury.
His status for Wednesday’s game against BYU at McKale Center is undetermined.
Arizona (23-2, 10-2) has lost two consecutive games after starting the season unbeaten through its first 23 games.
Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson, who played all 45 minutes, finished with 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Arizona had five players in double figures led by 16 points from Tobe Awaka and Brayden Burries.
Ivan Kharchenkov finished with 13 points, Jaden Bradley had 11 and Motiejus Krivas scored 10 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. .
Toppin scored Texas Tech’s first six points of overtime and gave the Red Raiders a 72-69 lead with 2:34 left.
Burries made two free throws with 2:17 remaining.
A 3-pointer by Donovan Atwell, who finished with 11 points, gave the Red Raiders a 75-71 lead with 2:03 left.
Awaka was fouled and he made both free throws with 1:37 remaining.
After Toppin made a shot in the lane, Awaka converted a putback to cut the lead to 77-75 with 59 seconds left.
Texas Tech had two offensive rebounds before LeJuan Watts was fouled with 4.5 seconds left.
Watts made one of two free throw attempts to give the Red Raiders a 78-75 lead.
A 3-point attempt by Bradley at the buzzer was off the mark.
Texas Tech went on a 9-0 run down the stretch of regulation, taking advantage of Arizona going 0 of 7 from the field.
After a missed layup by Bradley and a failed tip-in attempt by Krivas, Atwell made a 3-pointer with 25.4 seconds left to give Texas Tech a 66-64 lead.
Kharchenkov was fouled and he made two free throws with 16 seconds left to tie the game.
A last-second attempt by Anderson bounced off the rim and out.
Arizona’s rotation was mostly six players because Dwayne Aristode, a freshman reserve for the Wildcats, was ruled out before the game because of an illness.
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