Red Raider Review

No. 10 Texas Tech falls to BYU on the road in regular season finale

The Cougars snap a three-game losing streak while handing Texas Tech its second loss in a row to end the regular season. 

Josh Ortega|
Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland gestures to his team against TCU during a Big 12 Conference men's basketball game, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in United Supermarkets Arena.
Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland gestures to his team against TCU during a Big 12 Conference men's basketball game, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in United Supermarkets Arena. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Texas Tech Red RaidersBYU Cougars

PROVO — The No. 10 Texas Tech Red Raiders (22-9, 12-6) fall to the BYU Cougars (21-10, 9-9) 82-76 in the Marriott Center Saturday night. Tech drops back-to-back games to end the regular season, but even with the result, Tech secures a top-4 seed in the Big 12 Conference Tournament. 

Texas Tech broke out to an eight-point lead in the opening 10 minutes of the first half, led by sophomore guard Christian Anderson. Anderson led Tech with a team high 15 points in the opening half on 5-11 shooting from the field with six assists.

Anderson broke the single-season assist record with his 227th in the first half, as Tech built a 13-point lead heading into the final seven minutes. 

The Red Raiders would continue to push as senior guard Donovan Atwell also finished the first half in double figures, scoring 15 points on 5-6 shooting from the field, helping Tech further extend its lead. 

However, BYU didn't shy away. The Cougars went on a 7-0 scoring run in the last five minutes, led by junior forward Kennard Davis Jr., who led BYU with a team high 13 points, with star forward AJ Dybantsa chipping in with 10 points from the field, allowing the Cougars to cut into the Tech lead as the half went down to the wire. Both teams went 5/5 from the field or better in the final minutes of the half. With Texas Tech going into the locker room with an eight-point lead, up 46-38. 

Coming out of halftime, BYU kept that momentum to start the second half. The Cougars cut the Tech lead to one in the first six minutes thanks to sophomore guard Robert Wright III. Wright III only scored four points in the opening half, but exploded in the second, finishing with 27 points, the most in his last five, going 9-17 from the field as the Red Raiders dodged and parried, continuing to battle in Provo. 

Tech was able to regain some momentum thanks to freshman guard Jaylen Petty, who chipped in with 6 second-half points to bring his total to 14 despite BYU flipping the script on Texas Tech, taking the lead entering on the cusp of the final 10 minutes. 

The two sides continued to trade lead changes, senior guard Donovan Atwell built off his own 14-point first half to bring his total to 23 as Tech knocked down five shots entering the eight-minute mark, even though the Cougars remained in high gear from the field. 

BYU fueled an 8-0 scoring run, outscoring Texas Tech 14-2 in taking a nine-point lead led by Dybantsa who scored 11 points in the final half to push his total to 21 as Tech struggled from the field. Texas Tech shot 38% from the field in the second half alone, going 25% from 3-point range. A stark contrast from the first, where the Red Raiders shot 55% from the field while shooting 63% from 3-point range to start the game. In spite of that, Tech was able to recover down to the wire. 

Tech went on a 9-0 scoring run, holding BYU to go 1-7 from the field, tying the game with a minute and change left on the game clock thanks to Anderson. Anderson came alive in the eleventh hour for Tech with 8 points in the clutch to push his total to 23. However, Kennard Davis Jr knocked down a 23-foot three-pointer to give the Cougars a three-point cushion, forcing Tech to foul. 

The Red Raiders forced BYU to the line with Wright III knocking down a pair of free throws, which iced the game for BYU. The Cougars snap a three-game losing streak while handing Texas Tech its second loss in a row. 

With the result, Tech secured the 4th seed in the Big 12 Conference Tournament, meaning the Red Raiders won’t see action until the quarterfinals of the tournament in Kansas City. Nonetheless, despite the result, the Red Raiders conclude the regular season with another 20+ win season under their belts. 

Texas Tech will be back in action on Thursday March 12, with an opponent to be decided in the Big 12 Conference Tournament from Kansas City on ESPN/ESPN 2 at 11:30 A.M. CDT  

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Josh Ortega
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