West Virginia's Cold Shooting Dooms Upset Bid Against No. 13 Texas Tech
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - In front of a raucous crowd of 12,009 at Hope Coliseum, West Virginia had a golden opportunity to make a statement. The Mountaineers were looking to shake up the Big 12 standings and nudge their way into NCAA Tournament conversations. But to do that against 13th-ranked Texas Tech, they needed two things: to hit from deep and convert at the line.
They did neither.
West Virginia struggled mightily from beyond the arc, connecting on just 2 of 22 attempts. And at the free throw line, where they’ve had issues all season, the struggles continued-missing 10 of 23. That combination proved too much to overcome in a 70-63 loss to the Red Raiders.
Wearing black uniforms to honor the state’s coal mining heritage, the Mountaineers (15-9, 6-5 Big 12) came out with energy but couldn’t find rhythm from the perimeter. Meanwhile, Texas Tech was locked in from long range, draining 13 of 24 threes and keeping WVU at arm’s length for most of the afternoon.
The Red Raiders led 39-27 at halftime and appeared in full control. But West Virginia wasn’t ready to fold.
The Mountaineers opened the second half with an 8-0 burst, forcing a quick timeout from Texas Tech. That momentum, however, was short-lived.
Jaylen Petty halted the run with a three, and after a pair of free throws from Harlan Obioha, Tech rattled off 10 straight points to push the lead to 15. It was the kind of response that good teams deliver on the road, and it underscored why Texas Tech is sitting near the top of the conference standings at 17-6 (7-3 Big 12).
Still, West Virginia kept clawing. Obioha’s layup trimmed the deficit to nine with 8:29 remaining, and Brenen Lorient’s basket pulled it within seven with three minutes left. But every time the Mountaineers made a push, the Red Raiders had an answer.
Christian Anderson drilled a clutch three to stretch the lead back to double digits, and JT Toppin-who was a problem all game-iced two free throws to keep it there with under two minutes to go. Even as Tech missed a few freebies late, WVU couldn’t capitalize. Lorient’s free throw with seven seconds left cut it to five, but Lejuan Watts calmly knocked down a pair on the other end to seal it.
Toppin led all scorers with 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including two threes. He was a matchup nightmare-scoring one-on-one, facilitating, and forcing WVU into tough decisions on defense.
Donovan Atwell added 15, Anderson had 13, and Petty chipped in 11. Four different Red Raiders hit multiple threes, showcasing the kind of balance and spacing that makes this team dangerous.
For West Virginia, Lorient carried the offensive load with 21 points on an efficient 10-of-14 from the field. Chance Moore and Jasper Floyd each added 10, but the supporting cast couldn’t find enough scoring to keep pace.
Treysen Eaglestaff and Moore were the only Mountaineers to connect from deep, combining for just two made threes on eight attempts. That lack of perimeter production put a cap on WVU’s offensive ceiling-especially against a team as disciplined and explosive as Texas Tech.
After the game, head coach Ross Hodge pointed to the early hustle plays-or lack thereof-as a turning point.
“To start the game, you kind of get beat to every loose ball; they got the first four loose and three of them directly led to baskets,” he said on his postgame radio show. “I think if you step on the floor legitimately expecting to win the game, you get more loose balls than your opponent. That was the ultimate disappointing part of the game to me.”
Those early 50/50 plays often set the tone in tight conference matchups. And on Sunday, they tilted in Texas Tech’s favor.
The loss marks the third straight defeat to the Red Raiders for West Virginia, and it delays any serious NCAA Tournament buzz for at least another week. The Mountaineers will look to regroup before hitting the road to face UCF.
But if they’re going to make a late-season push, it starts with knocking down open shots-and converting at the line. The Big 12 doesn’t offer much margin for error, and West Virginia learned that the hard way in a game where the little things loomed large.