Texas Tech lit up the scoreboard in their 92-73 win over Baylor, and yes, the three-point barrage was the headliner. The Red Raiders knocked down a blistering 17-of-27 from deep, with Donovan Atwell and Christian Anderson combining for a jaw-dropping 15-of-20 from beyond the arc. Most of that damage came early-Texas Tech buried 14 threes in the first half alone, setting a Big 12 record for triples in a single half and building a commanding 55-36 lead by the break.
But while the long-range fireworks grabbed the spotlight, the real story of this game was written on the defensive end. Texas Tech didn’t just outshoot Baylor-they outworked them defensively.
The Red Raiders were getting clean, in-rhythm looks from deep, while Baylor was forced into tough, contested midrange shots with defenders draped all over them. That contrast in shot quality was the difference.
Open shots go down. Tough ones don’t.
It’s a basketball truth that often gets overlooked, but it was on full display in Lubbock.
The Red Raiders’ defensive intensity didn’t just show up in the box score-it showed up in the body language. Baylor’s shooters rarely looked comfortable.
And when your opponent is getting clean looks and you’re grinding for every bucket, the scoreboard tends to reflect that. Texas Tech’s ability to disrupt Baylor’s rhythm while maintaining their own was the true separator.
That defensive edge also showed up in the way Texas Tech handled Baylor’s young star, Tounde Yessoufou. The freshman phenom was held to just nine points on 4-of-14 shooting and looked visibly frustrated throughout the night.
It was the second straight game in which the Red Raiders locked down a high-profile one-and-done. Just days earlier, they flustered BYU’s AJ Dybantsa.
And now, with Houston’s Kingston Flemings coming to town this Saturday, Texas Tech will have another chance to test its freshman lockdown credentials. Flemings torched the Red Raiders earlier this season, but this is a different Tech defense-sharper, more connected, and playing with a chip on its shoulder.
That rematch could be pivotal if Texas Tech wants to split the season series with the Cougars.
Another key element in this win? The way Texas Tech handled Baylor’s aggressive first-half strategy against JT Toppin.
Baylor came out doubling Toppin hard, trying to force the ball out of his hands. But Toppin handled the pressure like a seasoned vet, calmly kicking it out and setting off a chain reaction that led to wide-open threes.
That ball movement was surgical, and the Red Raiders made Baylor pay. By halftime, Tech had racked up 55 points.
In the second half, Baylor dialed back the doubles and went with a more traditional defensive look. It helped slow the bleeding a bit, but the Bears still struggled to pressure the ball, and that allowed Texas Tech’s guards to feed Toppin in the post without much resistance.
He didn’t need much-one-on-one, he was efficient and punishing. So while Baylor traded giving up threes for giving up twos, it was still a losing proposition.
The Bears improved, but not nearly enough to mount a serious comeback.
There were also encouraging signs off the bench for Texas Tech. Marial Akuentok gave the team a solid four-minute stretch in the first half, and Tyeree Bryan logged 28 minutes in what was arguably his best performance in weeks.
These might seem like small steps, but they’re meaningful. Texas Tech doesn’t need its bench to dominate-they just need reliable minutes to keep the starters fresh and the team afloat.
On this night, the bench delivered exactly that.
All told, this was a statement win for Texas Tech. The three-point shooting was electric, but it was the defense-the grit, the discipline, the ability to frustrate and fluster-that truly defined the night. If the Red Raiders keep defending like this, they’re going to be a problem for anyone in the Big 12.