On College GameDay, No. 12 Texas Tech tops No. 6 Houston 90-86

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - On a chilly January afternoon where more than ten thousand Red Raider fans braved the winter weather to see No. 12 Texas Tech host No. 6 Houston, forward JT Toppin once again showed to have ‘ice in his veins’ as he scored 31 points and posted 12 rebounds while the Red Raiders (16-4, 6-1 Big 12) knocked off the Cougars 90-86, a game showcased in front of a national audience being part of ESPN’s College GameDay. This win is also the fifth-straight victory for the Red & Black.

“It’s special here. Texas Tech, the Red Raiders, all the people that work on this campus really are special people, so I just want to say thank you for allowing this to even happen,” said head basketball coach Grant McCasland following the game. “And then, there’s nobody we respect more than Houston. I mean, what a game!”

One of the leading statistics of the game was how the Red Raiders outrebounded the Cougars, as team well known for their skills on the board 44-28. Houston head basketball coach refused to acknowledge any questionable calls from officiating since they were so heavily dominated in that on statistic.

After leading for most of the second half, the Cougars regained the lead with less than six minutes to play 77-75. Seconds later, Tech forward Donovon Atwell took control as he successfully made two uncontested three-pointers from the corner and Houston never recovered.

“You can’t be late (guarding) Donovan Atwell,” Coach McCasland said. “You’re late on Don, he’s making it?”

When asked about Toppin’s performance, McCasland said his value to the team goes beyond what fans see on the court twice a week.

“What I’ll tell you about JT Toppin is JT Toppin wants to win! And, if picking the best basketball player that helps you win, then we got to keep winning, and that’ll take care of itself, and I mean that!,” he said. “But JT’s impact in winning at the highest level on defense and offense, on rebounding, on putting pressure on the rim, on handling double teams, on making the right play, on willing our team to victory, on talking in timeouts at halftime, telling the truth and telling the fight that we need. I mean, to me, he’s the MVP in regards to the fight that it takes to win.”

Toppin says he prepared for the game knowing the level of toughness Houston brings inside, especially after they lost to them 69-65 just 18 days before.

“In a game like this, (you know) how physical they are, you got to have the same mindset of just being tough and kill,” he said. “Sometimes, (rebounding) just goes my way and I’m just good at it. I know kind of got an instinct for getting rebounds and I just kept going and they came my way this tonight.”

Houston’s freshman standout Kingston Flemings had 42 points, and Emanuel Sharp had 20. The rest of the team combined for 24 points.

The Red Raiders now have a seven-day hiatus before they head off to Orlando, Fla. to face the UCF Knights next Saturday. Tip-off scheduled for 11 a.m. CT at Financial Arena.