Texas Tech entered this season believing it had the pieces in place to win a national championship, but thus far the defense has not been up to par and injuries have devastated the Red Raiders’ ability to pull together. Texas Tech entered Saturday’s showdown against No. 3 Duke short-handed, bruised and off balance.
It will leave Madison Square Garden with one of college basketball’s biggest wins of the season. Texas Tech erased a 17-point deficit in the second half to stun Duke 82-81 and post a resume-boosting victory that sends a message to the rest of the Big 12 that this group is as dangerous as ever.
JT Toppin played the last eleven minutes of the game with four errors and managed to stay in the fight. The Red Raiders All-American finished with 19 points, but it was Christian Anderson who scored 23 of his 27 points in the second half to spark the comeback. LeJuan Watts also scored a huge 20 points to help Texas Tech (9-3) stay afloat without injured center Luke Bamgboye.
Duke (11-1) got 23 points from Cameron Boozer and another 13 from twin brother Cayden, but the Blue Devils offense scored just three points in a five-minute span to revive Texas Tech’s rally.
The loss dropped Duke from the undefeated ranks. Only Michigan, Iowa State, Arizona, Vanderbilt, Nebraska and Miami (Ohio) remain unblemished.
Let’s look at some findings about Texas Tech’s upset with Duke.
Texas Tech’s Big Three emerge
We knew Toppin and Anderson were expected to be brilliant, and so far that duo has risen to the task. Saturday was no different. One of the best inside-out duos in the country combined to score 46 points against a Duke defense that had been brutal all year.
But Watts has become a revelation offensively in recent weeks after focusing solely on… his defense? The basketball gods have blessed Texas Tech’s bootyball machine, which scored 20 points, six rebounds and three dimes in 27 minutes against the Blue Devils.
When Toppin, Anderson and Watts are cooking, Texas Tech’s offense is an incredibly difficult cover.
Duke learned that the hard way.
Duke’s defense is falling apart at the wrong time
Duke’s defense chose a bold moment to play its worst defensive half of the season. The Blue Devils allowed 1.48 points per possession in the second half.
Overall, it was the worst performance for Duke’s defense this year…by a country mile.
The Big 12 race is shaping up to be a blast
Texas Tech has certainly proven that its best 40 minutes can beat anyone, and it sets the stage for an all-time Big 12 run. Iowa State and Arizona State are incredible. Houston, fresh off the dismantling of Arkansas, is starting to play very well. BYU and Kansas have two elite talents.
A bloodbath awaits.
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