Razorbacks Get Revenge on Red Raiders Despite 56 From JT Toppin, Christian Anderson
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On Sunday, Dec. 7, the Texas Tech Red Raiders dominated the LSU Tigers in Fort Worth, Texas. One week later, on Saturday, Dec. 13, Tech got another opportunity to make a statement win on a neutral court, but they dropped their early 10-point lead to the Arkansas Razorbacks.
It was a rematch of the Sweet 16 contest in March, and the atmosphere felt like that of a postseason game. The crowd was rolling on both sides, and the game was chippy. Both sides played aggressively and with pace, leading to a high-volume game. No. 17 Arkansas came out on top over No. 16 Texas Tech, 93-86.
Leading the way for the Red Raiders was junior forward JT Toppin and sophomore guard Christian Anderson. The duo combined for 56 points with double-doubles from both players — Toppin recorded 30 points and 11 rebounds while Anderson added 26 points with 11 assists.
The duo helped Tech get out to a 31-21 lead in less than 13 minutes as the Red Raiders pushed the pace. Both teams were fighting for offensive boards, making each stop that much more valuable. However, the Razorbacks were able to match the Red Raiders' scoring, erasing Tech's lead with less than two minutes remaining in the first half.
In the second half, though, the Razorbacks shot the lights out, helping them outpace the Red Raiders. Arkansas made 51.5% of its field goals, 62.5% of its 3s, and grabbed 10 offensive rebounds, adding five blocks as they made Tech work for every shot.
The second half exposed several of the Red Raiders' flaws. As the efficiency fell, Tech struggled to keep pace with Arkansas, watching the lead slowly expand in the Razorbacks' favor. Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland said that the team went from playing to win to trying not to lose.
Another issue was that the Red Raiders' rotation was just six deep on Saturday, with sophomore center Luke Bamgboye out. Toppin and Anderson played just six minutes, and Tech got just 30 points from the other four players on the floor. Four different players played 32+ minutes, and the game got sloppy as the mileage climbed.
"I thought they were more competitive than we were," McCasland said after the game. "I thought I mismanaged the game the last 10 minutes. I didn't do a good enough job with our group, rotations-wise and defensively. We missed some opportunities to really be competitive in a way that I think will allow us to be great, but they're a great team, and I thought they were more connected than we were late."
McCasland said he thought he saw the team's competitive edge earlier in the game, but it faded over time. "There was a lack of grit, connected. Individual guys showed some great effort, and just collectively, maybe it was too many minutes being played, honestly."
"Just looking like we weren't sure if we could give what we needed to give to get it done, and I hate saying it that way because it's lame."
On Arkansas' side, they were led by a trio in Trevon Brazile, Karter Knox, and Darius Acuff Jr. They combined for 64 points. Brazile had 10 rebounds, and Acuff dished out eight assists.
Knox and Brazile, defensively, proved to be problematic for Tech with their length, especially as they pressured inbound plays and pressed full court. Acuff challenged Tech's defense down low, and Brazile took over late with an 18-point, eight-rebound second half.
"We knew they were a little shaky, so we wanted to pick them up full-court," Acuff said.
HOGS UP BY 1 AFTER 3 QUICK BUCKETS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GwOaBdE445
— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) December 13, 2025
Arkansas was presented with a decision to either double Toppin or Anderson, without much concern for the rest of Tech's squad. Early on, they applied pressure to both, making Anderson work for the ball and trapping him.
They switched to doubling Toppin until Anderson threatened them with a stretch where he scored 10 of Tech's 14 points; the double came back to Toppin as the Razorbacks lived with Toppin's shots near the basket.
"We just stopped doubling him [Anderson] because we were getting into too many rotations," Brazile said. "We said, 'Make him beat us with 2s,' and they couldn't beat us with 2s."
Texas Tech returns to Lubbock, Texas, to take on Northern Colorado on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at the United Supermarkets Arena. They will look to bounce back before a trip to New York to face Duke on Dec. 20.
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-43389ae7766a84cbb8a6c33939d17968.jpeg "Jordan Epp")
Jordan Epp is a journalist who graduated from Texas A&M in 2022 and is passionate about telling stories, sharing news, and finding ways to entertain people through the medium of sports. He has formerly worked as a writer and editor at The Battalion and The Eagle, covering football in College Station, Texas, and served as the managing editor for PFSN.
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