No. 1 Arizona suffers 2nd straight loss to No. 16 Texas Tech

Wildcats face adversity with injuries and back-to-back defeats

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The No. 1 ranked Arizona Wildcats suffered their second straight loss, falling 78-75 in overtime to No. 16 Texas Tech on Saturday. The Wildcats were without freshman Koa Peat in the second half due to a lower leg injury, and also played without freshman Dwayne Aristode who was out with an illness. Arizona struggled offensively, shooting just 39% from the field, and were unable to overcome a dominant performance from Texas Tech's JT Toppin, who scored 31 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

Why it matters

This loss marks the first time this season that the Wildcats have faced adversity, with back-to-back defeats and key injuries to their rotation. It will test Arizona's ability to respond and bounce back, especially with another tough matchup against BYU coming up. The game also highlighted the physical, defensive-minded style of play that Texas Tech brings, which could be a blueprint for other teams to follow against the high-powered Wildcats.

The details

Arizona led by as many as six points late in the second half, but was unable to hold on as Texas Tech rallied. The Red Raiders were led by a huge game from junior forward JT Toppin, who scored 29 of his 31 points in the second half and overtime. Sophomore guard Christian Anderson also had a strong game for Texas Tech, scoring 19 points and dishing out 8 assists. Arizona struggled to contain Toppin and Anderson, who combined for 50 points. The Wildcats were also hampered by poor shooting, going just 4-of-16 from 3-point range.

  • Arizona led by six points with 4:10 left in the second half.
  • The game went to overtime after being tied 68-68 at the end of regulation.

The players

JT Toppin

A junior forward for Texas Tech who scored a game-high 31 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

Christian Anderson

A sophomore guard for Texas Tech who scored 19 points and dished out 8 assists.

Koa Peat

A freshman for Arizona who did not play in the second half due to a lower leg injury.

Dwayne Aristode

A freshman wing for Arizona who missed the game due to illness.

Tobe Awaka

A senior center for Arizona who had 16 points and 12 rebounds in the loss.

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What they’re saying

“Credit to Texas Tech. They came here, and they got it done. They obviously had a great game plan, made timely shots and (got) timely defensive stops and that allowed them to get over the top on us.”

— Tommy Lloyd, Arizona head coach (arizonasports.com)

“Texas Tech, they do a great job of that. They're a really physical team; they teach it well. ... The first time you play them, it's kind of eye-opening for your guys.”

— Tommy Lloyd, Arizona head coach (arizonasports.com)

“We just talked about, just have to be a hit-first mentality. And if you don't hit first then you're losing on everything.”

— Grant McCasland, Texas Tech head coach (arizonasports.com)

What’s next

Arizona will look to bounce back on Wednesday when they host No. 22 BYU, while the status of Koa Peat's injury remains uncertain.

The takeaway

This loss highlights the challenges Arizona will face as the top-ranked team, having to respond to adversity and injuries while other teams look to knock them off. It also shows the importance of physical, defensive-minded play that teams like Texas Tech can use to disrupt the Wildcats' high-powered offense.