Texas Tech basketball rolled past Akron in the NCAA Tournament as Jaylen Petty, Christian Anderson and a balanced Red Raiders attack answered adversity.
Texas Tech basketball didn’t just survive its NCAA Tournament opener without JT Toppin. The Red Raiders sent a message.
In a 91-71 win over Akron, Texas Tech showed exactly what Grant McCasland wants this team to be in March: tough, connected, and relentless. The Red Raiders lost one of the nation’s top guards when Toppin tore his ACL, but against the Zips, they looked like a team that refused to let its season drift.
Instead, they leaned into the moment and played with an edge.
Jaylen Petty led the charge with 24 points, while Christian Anderson poured in 18. Josiah Moseley added 16, Donovan Atwell scored 15, and LeJuan Watts chipped in 14 as Texas Tech placed five scorers in double figures.
That kind of offensive balance is what makes this group dangerous heading into its second-round showdown with Alabama.
More importantly, the Red Raiders backed up their words with action.
“We just didn’t lose our intensity and competitiveness,” Petty said, and that was obvious once Tech found its rhythm. After Akron made a push and cut the deficit to four in the second half, the Red Raiders hit back with pace, steals, transition buckets, and dagger jumpers.
Petty’s fast-break dunk off Anderson’s steal helped slam the door, and from there, Texas Tech never looked rattled.
Moseley explained why. Losing a star, he said, “could’ve caused a lot of teams to fall apart,” but Tech responded because “everyone knew they had to step up and push each other harder.”
McCasland echoed that mindset while praising Akron and John Groce. “Tremendous respect for Coach Groce for a great season,” he said.
He called the Zips “one of the most fun teams I’ve ever scouted,” then made clear what changed the game: “We challenged our team to get better defensively and to finish with rebounds.”
Challenge accepted.
Now Texas Tech is one win away from another Sweet 16, and suddenly this team looks far more dangerous than its seed.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community for FREE! Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable App to stay even more connected!