Texas Tech handled Akron in the NCAA Tournament opener and now sits one win away from reaching the Sweet 16 for the second straight season.
Texas Tech basketball took the first punch, stayed calm, and then flipped the switch like a team that knows this time of year isn’t about style points, it’s about surviving, advancing, and getting another shot at the Sweet 16.
The Red Raiders did exactly that Friday, pulling away from Akron for a convincing NCAA Tournament win and keeping their March momentum alive.
For a team playing without injured star JT Toppin, this was the kind of performance Grant McCasland had to love.
Texas Tech didn’t need one hero. It got waves of offense, timely defense, and the kind of balanced scoring that makes a tournament team dangerous.
Jaylen Petty led the charge with 24 points and played with the kind of downhill aggression that changed the game. Christian Anderson added 18, while Josiah Moseley scored 16, Donovan Atwell chipped in 15, and LeJuan Watts finished with 14.
That five-man scoring punch is the story now.
Texas Tech entered March Madness knowing life without Toppin would require a different formula. Against Akron, the Red Raiders showed they may have found it.
They absorbed an early push, built separation, then answered every serious Akron threat before it could turn into real pressure.
When the Zips trimmed the margin in the second half, Tech immediately responded with pace, shot-making, and transition plays that put the game back under its control.
Petty’s burst was especially important. His scoring, combined with Anderson’s activity and Atwell’s perimeter punch, gave Texas Tech the edge it needed whenever Akron hinted at a comeback.
Defensively, the Red Raiders did enough to keep the MAC champions from finding rhythm for long stretches.
Now comes the bigger challenge. Texas Tech is one win away from reaching the Sweet 16 for the second straight year, and that’s where this season starts to get really interesting.
The Red Raiders don’t have Toppin, but they do have depth, confidence, and a roster that looks more comfortable carrying the load together. In March, that can take you a long way.
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