How unranked TCU pulled off shocking upset of No. 9 Texas Tech
Texas Christian Horned Frogs forward Trazarien White. Russell Lansford-Imagn Images
The TCU Horned Frogs slowed down No. 9 Texas Tech's high-scoring offense with a massive 69-66 upset on Tuesday.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) February 19, 2025
The Red Raiders were averaging 82.4 points per game coming into Tuesday, so TCU's ability to hold them under 70 was impressive.
Although Texas Tech shot 49.1% from the floor, TCU held the Red Raiders to 9-of-25 (36%) from deep and forced them into 13 turnovers. That was on full display when TCU forward Trazarien White stole the ball from Texas Tech's Chance McMillian, leading to a dunk on the other end by guard Jace Posey as the Horned Frogs took a 36-26 lead late in the first half.
TCU was only 6-of-17 from long-range, but three of those makes came from White, who had 16 points off the bench. After keeping Texas Tech from finding the bottom of the net, White raced down the court and drilled this corner trey to extend TCU's lead to 50-42 with just over 12 minutes remaining.
— TCU Men's Basketball (@TCUBasketball) February 19, 2025
Something TCU did an excellent job of was preventing Texas Tech sophomore JT Toppin from going off. In Texas Tech's last two games, Toppin combined for 73 points and went 29-of-39 from the floor. On Tuesday night, TCU held him to 14 points (5-of-9 FG, 0-of-2 3PT).
The only silver lining for Texas Tech is that it is still in the top four of the conference standings and owns a win over two of the three teams in front of it in the Big 12. The Red Raiders have the firepower to beat anyone when everything is clicking.
Although TCU (15-11, 8-7 Big 12) has had an inconsistent season with four nonconference losses and a rough Big 12 slate, the Horned Frogs have won three in a row and accomplished something few teams in the country have all season by slowing down Texas Tech's potent offense.
On a night the program honored former player and current Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane with a jersey retirement ceremony, TCU gave its fans something else to cheer for later on with a massive upset of Texas Tech.
Colby Colwell is a freelance contributor with a bachelor’s in Computer & Information Technology and a minor in Psychology from Western Kentucky University. With a deep passion for sports, especially NASCAR, he offers his substantial knowledge along with his adept writing skills. When he’s not writing, Colby enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with his family
