Texas Tech holds off Arizona State upset bid in epic double-overtime Big 12 game
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Backed into a corner, the Arizona State men's basketball team came out fighting on Wednesday night.
But ultimately, it wasn't enough. Texas Tech forward JT Toppin had 41 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Red Raiders to a 111-106 double-overtime victory over Arizona State in a Big 12 men's basketball game in Lubbock, Texas.
The Sun Devils, who were playing without 5-star freshman Jayden Quaintance, were 15.5-point road underdogs against the red-hot Red Raiders.
But Arizona State came out firing, taking a 45-44 halftime lead behind blistering shooting from the 3-point line. The Sun Devils finished 13-of-27 from downtown, with freshman Amier Ali going 4-of-5 and scoring 18 points.
Senior guards BJ Freeman and Adam Miller, who were both suspended for Arizona State's loss to Oklahoma State on Sunday, were stellar against Texas Tech. Miller finished with 22 points and Freeman added 21 to lead the Sun Devils.
Senior guard Alston Mason, who fouled out early in the second overtime, finished with 16 points and 6 assists for the Sun Devils. Junior center Shawn Phillips Jr., who started in place of Quaintance, had 15 points, 6 rebounds and one of the best dunks of the season.
POSTERIZED 😤@shawnphillipsj1 /// @TheSunDevils
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) February 13, 2025
📺 @CBSSportsNet
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Miller gave Arizona State a 90-88 lead on a 10-foot runner with 10 seconds left in regulation. But Texas Tech guard Chance McMillian converted an offensive rebound putback with 0.8 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime. McMillian, Texas Tech's leading scorer, finished with 14 points.
Texas Tech (19-5, 10-3) came into the game ranked No. 8 in the country in the NCAA NET Rankings. The Red Raiders have now won eight of their last nine games and are projected to be a No. 3 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Arizona State (12-12, 3-10) came into the game ranked No. 65 in the NET and in second-to-last place in the Big 12. The Sun Devils have now lost four straight games, and five of their last six.
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-66e6aeb5014b4c4eeac84ca997f034c9.jpg "Ben Sherman")
Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his 27-year journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. A basketball junkie, March Madness is his favorite time of the year.
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