Arizona State Stuns Texas Tech Behind Incredible Defensive Effort

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils (14-12, 5-8 Big 12) against the #13 Texas Tech Red Raiders (19-7, 9-4) on Tuesday night in a shocking upset by a score of 72-67 at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe.

The Sun Devils are coming off of a week-long break following an 85-76 triumph over Oklahoma State last Tuesday, while Texas Tech secured one of the most impressive wins by any team this season by taking down Arizona in Tucson over the weekend.

Arizona State also suffered a significant setback heading into the game, as starting guard Bryce Ford was ruled out prior to the game due to a lower-body injury.

Follow key developments from the game, as well as standout performers and what lies ahead for the Sun Devils below.

First Half

Texas Tech opened up the game with a 5-0 lead, although the Sun Devils responded with a pair of baskets off of strong finishes by Massamba Diop.

Arizona State continued to compete behind a combination of pesky defense and timely shotmaking. A three-point knockdown by point guard Moe Odum was followed by a trio of free throws that gifted Arizona State their first lead of the contest at the 10:51 mark of the first period. An Arizona State steal that resulted in a transition basket by Trevor Best extended the lead to 16-12 and forced a Texas Tech timeout.

sdvvdsdsvsd — Feb 4, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley reacts after a play against the Utah Utes during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

An extended Texas Tech run put the Sun Devils back in a 25-20 deficit, with Hurley calling a timeout at the 6:41 mark. Arizona State continued to compete over the next several minutes despite having less depth and falling flat on some defensive possessions.

A surge over the last two minutes of the half put Arizona State up at halftime by a score of 37-36 after center Massamba Diop knocked down a catch-and-shoot look from behind the arc.

Second Half

The second half began in a back-and-forth manner , with Arizona State retaking a 47-44 lead at the 13:24 mark behind a Noah Meeusen three-point hit and an offensive board that resulted in a dunk by Santiago Trouet.

Arizona State continued to rattle the Red Raiders' offense, while Odum continued to catalyze a strong team effort offensivey. This resulted in the Sun Devils taking a 57-49 lead at the midway point of the second half - the momentum was nearly all on the side of Arizona State.

Texas Tech battled back to within four, but an untimely injury to J.T. Toppin at around the seven-minute mark stalled any momentum, which Arizona State subsequently regained. A pull-up three-point knockdown from Odum with 3:26 remaining gifted the Sun Devils their largest lead of the night.

sdvdsvds — Feb 4, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley watches the team warm up before the game against the Utah Utes at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Key Performances

Moe Odum - 23 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST

Massamba Diop - 14 PTS, 5 REB, 2 BLK

Anthony "Pig" Johnson - 11 PTS, 3 REB, 2 STL

Santiago Trouet - 13 PTS, 6 REB, 2 BLK

What's Next

Arizona State is set to hit the road for a two-game trip over the next week - they will take on Baylor on Saturday and TCU on February 24.

Read more on the bold strategy that head coach Bobby Hurley employed with comments on 1/21 here, and on why Arizona State may have saved the season with the win over Cincinnati on Saturday here..

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