Texas Tech Basketball Tips Off 2025-26 Season with Win over Lindenwood

The No. 10 Texas Tech Red Raiders started their 2025-26 season with a statement. They cruised past Lindenwood 98-60 at United Supermarkets Arena on the night of Tuesday, Nov. 4. The season opener extended Tech’s remarkable streaks of 26 straight season-opening wins and 39 consecutive non-conference home victories. They also set a new offensive record that electrified the Lubbock, Texas, crowd from start to finish.

Christian Anderson’s Record Night Leads Red Raiders

Sophomore guard Christian Anderson wasted no time reminding fans why he’s one of the most exciting players to watch this season. Anderson delivered a jaw-dropping performance, recording his first career double-double with career highs of 34 points and 11 assists.

game won ✔️#TTW | @7BCommercial pic.twitter.com/eBMTzr6nfk
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) November 5, 2025

The athlete's efficiency was equally impressive, going 11-for-23 from the field and sinking nine of 11 free throws. The sophomore also grabbed seven rebounds, picked up four steals, and committed just one turnover.

Anderson’s heroics powered an explosive Texas Tech offense that made program history. The Red Raiders drained 17 3-pointers on 45 attempts, breaking their previous record of 16 3s. Anderson was joined in the perimeter onslaught by Jaylen Petty, Nolan Groves, and Leon Horner. Each contributed two triples of their own to round out the historic performance.

Freshmen Step Up with Big Debuts

Despite missing several key players, including JT Toppin, LeJuan Watts, Luke Bamgboye, and Josiah Moseley, Texas Tech showed impressive depth. Groves, a freshman forward, made a statement in his collegiate debut. He grabbed a program freshman record 16 rebounds, with six coming on the offensive glass. He also added seven points and three assists, showcasing his versatility.

Donovan Atwell provided a major scoring boost off the bench, pouring in 22 points while going 6-for-13 from 3-point range. Horner chipped in a career-high 10 points, while Petty nearly secured a double-double with nine points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals. The balanced contributions underscored just how deep and versatile this Red Raider roster can be.

Head coach Grant McCasland was quick to commend his team’s energy and toughness after the game, particularly their dominance on the boards. Texas Tech out-rebounded Lindenwood 59-43 and collected 23 offensive rebounds, turning effort into production.

"We went into this game with a scrap mentality that we had to be great on defense and rebounding," McCasland said. "We had a size disadvantage, so to out-rebound them like we did shows our competitiveness. We've still got a long way to go, but I loved the way we shared the ball."

The Red Raiders wasted no time establishing control, racing to a 58-30 halftime lead. Their first-half shooting was lights out, hitting 12-of-23 from beyond the arc. Anderson alone erupted for 25 points and eight assists before the break. Meanwhile, Tech completely owned the tempo with a 20-0 edge in fast-break points.

The Red Raiders return to United Supermarkets Arena on Friday, Nov. 7, to host Sam Houston before heading to Champaign, Ill., on Tuesday, Nov 11, for an early-season top-25 clash against No. 17 Illinois.

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