TCU upsets No. 10 Texas Tech in final home game of the season
LUBBOCK, Texas — The No. 10 Texas Tech Red Raiders (22-8, 12-5) fell to the TCU Horned Frogs (20-10,10-7) 73-65 on Tuesday night on Senior night in the final game at United Supermarkets Arena this season.
Despite three different players finishing in double figures, led by senior guard Donovan Atwell with 19 points on 7-17 shooting, Tech loses its second game at home since the beginning of February.
“First thing I told those guys in there was I was sorry we couldn't deliver a win for Jack, Tyree, and Donovan. Senior night is always a difficult one because you're thinking about the end, but you're excited about where you're headed as a team,” said Texas Tech Head Coach Grant McCasland after the loss. “Two things jumped out to me. The first was our defense to start the game.
“That's back-to-back home games we struggled to guard early in the game. We just gotta have a better start that puts us on our heels and gives them a lot of confidence. Then we settled in and had some good possessions until late in the game.
“The second one is very concerning. I have been pretty honest about it with JT. I felt that our offense could get going if we could stay healthy and keep the right guys out there, but defensively, the physicality JT provides us, I thought, was evident today.”
TCU jumped out to a 7-0 run to open up the game. The Red Raiders battled early, cutting into the TCU lead thanks to sophomore guard Christian Anderson, who ended his first half with 9 points and 4 assists.
Texas Tech would cut the lead to 3 with seven minutes left in the opening half as freshman guard Jaylen Petty had yet another active first 20 minutes scoring 9 first half points on 3-4 shooting.
Senior guard Donovan Atwell catching fire in the final five minutes scoring 10 points knocking down 4 shots from midrange helped the Red Raiders fuel their own 7-0 scoring run helping Tech take a 3-point lead heading into halftime up 39-36.
BOOOOOOM 👌#TTW | 📺 FS1: https://t.co/vETF9J4hPX pic.twitter.com/OVZCNoGKuD
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) March 4, 2026
Coming out of the locker room, TCU would cut the lead within one early in the second half, forcing multiple turnovers and getting numerous second chances at the rim for scores.
The Horned Frogs would continue to surge with sophomore forward Micah Robinson, who scored 10 points in the second half alone to bring his scoring total to 15.
Blended with senior guard Jayden Pierre building off his 9 first half to put himself into double figures, which helped TCU regain the lead with 13 minutes left in the half. TCU continued to carry momentum well into the final few minutes with Petty and Atwell continuing to build off their high-scoring first halves.
Petty finished the final half with nine points, knocking down 3 second-half shots from beyond the arc to bring his scoring total to 17, the highest total in his last five games as Tech continued to chip at the TCU lead, cutting it to one possession with less than a minute left on the clock.
THAT is how you start the second half 😤#TTW | 📺 FS1: https://t.co/vETF9J4hPX pic.twitter.com/PiLg1O4rim
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) March 4, 2026
“I loved his aggressiveness and the way he played,” said McCasland on Petty’s performance, not just vs TCU but throughout the last month. “Just how he connected some things, I wish we didn't turn the ball over so much, that's where we got to put those pieces together.”
Nonetheless, Tech missed shooting opportunities in the final seconds from 3-point range to tie, combined with the Horned Frogs' 22 points off second-chance points and 18 points off turnovers. TCU held on to add another resume-changing road win to its tournament resume.
For Tech, this is now the third time in conference play this season that Texas Tech has dropped a game following a massive road win against a ranked opponent. Coach McCasland talked about the potential pattern surrounding losses against teams Tech is favored to beat after big wins against high-caliber opponents as of late.
“I do think that when you play a really physical team, it does take a lot out of us because we have skill. If you were to characterize our player, you wouldn't say we are a physically imposing team even though we have physical talent,” said McCasland about his concern about the potential pattern when it comes to the postseason. “I think what we have is a good combination of basketball players, but I wouldn't call us physical; we have to really ramp that up.
“I do think you can really see it takes it out of use when we play a really physical team, and you gotta turn around and play in a short amount of time. So am I concerned about it, yes, but I am more concerned about the fight that we need to have in order to be successful.
“It's definitely concerning. It's a part of this game that we got to get a grip on before we get into these games that are elimination games.”
With the loss, the Red Raiders finish the season with a 15-2 record at home, dropping to third in the Big 12 with one game left in conference play. Tech will look to rebound before the conference tournament as the Red Raiders head on one final road trip to end the Big 12 schedule, taking on BYU in Provo on Saturday night.
Tip-off is set for 9:00 p.m. CST on Saturday between Texas Tech and BYU on ESPN.
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