Red Raider Review

Christian Anderson Goes Off, Texas Tech Dominates Cincinnati

Sophomore guard Christian Anderson put on a show at United Super Markets Arena Tuesday night, putting up his eighth double-double of the season with 31 points on 11-19 shooting,  wrecking Cincinnati's four-game win streak. As Tech wins back-to-back games at home.
Josh Ortega|
Texas Tech's Christian Anderson shoots a 3-pointer against Cincinnati during a Big 12 Conference men's basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in United Supermarkets Arena.
Texas Tech's Christian Anderson shoots a 3-pointer against Cincinnati during a Big 12 Conference men's basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in United Supermarkets Arena. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

Texas Tech Red Raiders

LUBBOCK, Texas — Sophomore guard Christian Anderson put on a show at United Super Markets Arena Tuesday night putting up his eighth double double of the season with 31 points on 11-19 shooting, 11 rebounds, as the No.16 Texas Tech Red Raiders (21-7,11-4) beat the Cincinnati Bearcats (15-13, 7-8) 80-68 as Tech finds itself in a three-way tie for second place in the Big 12. 

“We were a little step slow and not as aggressive as we needed to be. They made us pay early, but man did our team hang together, and just playing I felt like a consistent effort to figure out a way to improve. That's the way we play,” said Texas Tech Head Coach Grant McCasland after the win. “Christian Anderson was tremendous, he settled us. I thought LeJuan Watts was excellent in the second half, just offensively getting in the paint and getting foul pressure.”

The Red Raiders found themselves trailing for the majority of the opening half. Cincinnati went on an 8-0 opening run, knocking down all eight of their opening shots from the field, led by senior forward Baba Miller and sophomore center Moustapha Thiam, who both put up 9 first-half points. 

​Tech continued to battle, led by Anderson, whose 12 first-half points helped the Red Raiders cut the Cincinnati lead to three points entering the final five minutes. Before taking the lead with 3 minutes left, thanks to freshman guard Jaylen Petty, who knocked down a 27-foot 3-pointer rounding out his first half with 9 points from the field as the Red Raiders kept rolling.

 Anderson continued to energize the Texas Tech offense, orchestrating a 15-2 run to end the half, capped off by senior guard Donovan Atwell’s 24-foot 3-pointer to extend the Tech lead by 8 points as the Red Raiders led Cincinnati 42-39 heading into halftime.  

​Coming out of the break, despite Cincinnati's 6-0 run it was all Christian Anderson in the second half. The Wooden Top 20 Award nominee had a monster second half, scoring 19 points to build off his excellent first half to put the gas pedal on the floorboard for Texas Tech as the Red Raiders continued to push as the Tech lead extended to 17. 

​”It just goes back to the coaching staff and my teammates empowering me, and believing in me to go do what I do. Them, making it super easy for me to facilitate,” said Anderson after the win when asked about his high scoring night. “We got a lot of weapons like LeJuan, Donovan, everybody. I just think it's a team effort.” 

Cincinnati would continue to chip at the lead with Thiam scoring 12 points in the final half, while grabbing 7 rebounds to total his fourth game in double figures with 21 points, and his second double-double in his last three games with 10 rebounds. In addition to the 5th year senior Jalen Celestine catching fire from the field with his own 12 points. It was the second-chance points, along with the defensive intensity in grabbing loose balls and boxing out, that helped the Red Raiders maintain momentum, something that McCasland emphasized in his pre-game press conference and in practice.

“The past couple practices we have been emphasizing how guards need to rebound,” said Anderson during the post game press conference. “Especially with JT being out we need to rebound from all five guys so that's just what I tried to do tonight.”

Texas Tech grabbed 9 of 19 total second-chance points in the second half, along with 22 of 40 rebounds on both sides of the floor, creating opportunities for additional points while putting out the Bearcats’ scoring runs. Coupled with junior forward LeJuan Watts' 11 second-half points to finish his night with 13, going 5-6 from the free throw line in the second half alone. Watts now has back-to-back games in double figures. He spoke about what he has done differently to play with more certainty.

“With JT being out, everyone has to step up,” said Watts after the win when asked about his larger impact on offense. “I think that I have to take a bigger role on offense…just stepping up and working on my footwork, hopping into my hook shots. Just working and stepping up for the team.”

Ultimately, this helped Tech grab the lead and never let it go as the Red Raiders wrecked Cincinnati's four-game win streak, winning back-to-back games at home, and Tech’s 19th straight against unranked opponents. ​

With three games left in conference play, Texas Tech is 1.5 behind first place in the Big 12, as the regular season finale becomes all the more intense to start March as tournament season rolls closer. Texas Tech will travel to Ames, Iowa, to face No. 4 Iowa State on Saturday before returning to Lubbock for a final home stand against TCU on Tuesday. 

Tip-off between Texas Tech and TCU will be at 6:00 P.M. CST Saturday on FSI.

More From Texas Tech On SI

Stay up to date on Texas Tech Athletics by bookmarking Texas Tech On SI  and follow us on Twitter.

Published
Josh Ortega
JOSH ORTEGA

Home/Basketball