No. 13 Texas Tech was defeated by Arizona State 72-67 in Tempe on Tuesday night, and star forward JT Toppin suffered an injury in the second half.
Toppin seemed to injure his right leg while making a drive to the basket with 6:03 left in the game. The preseason All-America selection, who had been averaging 21.9 points per game, required help to leave the court and did not return. He ended the game with 20 points and eight rebounds.
The Red Raiders, coming off a 78-75 overtime victory against then-No. 1 Arizona, saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.
This marked Arizona State’s first win against a nationally ranked opponent since defeating No. 23 West Virginia 65-57 on Jan. 21, 2025. It was also a significant win for struggling coach Bobby Hurley, who has faced challenges in cultivating a consistent winner over his 11 years in the program.
Hurley began his postgame press conference by expressing his concerns for Toppin.
“I hope he’s alright. It’s tough to see a player exit a game like that,” Hurley remarked. “He’s one of the top players in the nation. … My thoughts are with him, and I hope he makes a quick recovery.”
Arizona State (14-12, 5-8 Big 12) established a 57-47 advantage midway through the second half, using a full-court press to frustrate Texas Tech and force several turnovers. The Red Raiders managed to narrow the gap to 59-56, but the Sun Devils countered with an eight-point run.
Texas Tech (19-7, 9-4) had one last push, bringing the score to 70-67 in the closing seconds, but Christian Anderson turned the ball over. Anderson scored 18 points but also tallied seven turnovers.
The 7-foot-1 Massamba Diop drained a 3-pointer in the final moments of the first half, giving Arizona State a 37-36 lead at halftime. Maurice Odum led the Sun Devils with 10 points before the break and finished with a game-high 23 points.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
