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No. 13 Texas Tech was upset by host Arizona State 72-67 in Tempe on Tuesday night and saw star forward JT Toppin go down because of an injury in the second half.
Toppin appeared to hurt his right leg while driving to the basket with 6:03 left. The preseason All-America selection — who came in averaging 21.9 points — needed assistance to limp off the court and didn’t return. He finished with 20 points and eight rebounds.
The Red Raiders — who were coming off a 78-75 overtime win at then-No. 1 Arizona — had a three-game winning streak ended.
It was Arizona State’s first victory over a nationally ranked opponent since beating No. 23 West Virginia 65-57 on Jan. 21, 2025. It was also a big win for embattled coach Bobby Hurley, who has struggled to produce a consistent winner during his 11 years in the desert.
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Hurley opened his postgame news conference by sending well wishes to Toppin.
“Hope he’s OK. Hate to see a guy go out of a game like that,” Hurley stated. “He’s one of the best players in the country. … My heart goes out to him and I hope that he’s back soon for them.”
Arizona State (14-12, 5-8 Big 12) built a 57-47 lead midway through the second half, frustrating Texas Tech with a full-court press that forced multiple turnovers. The Red Raiders cut the margin to 59-56, but the Sun Devils scored the next eight points.
Texas Tech (19-7, 9-4) had one more run left, trimming it to 70-67 in the final seconds, but then Christian Anderson lost control of the ball for a turnover. Anderson scored 18 points but committed seven turnovers.
Arizona State’s Massamba Diop, the team’s 7-foot-1 center, hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the first half to give the Sun Devils a 37-36 halftime advantage. Maurice Odum led ASU with 10 points before the break and finished with 23.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.