Texas Tech Basketball Coach Praises UCF Fans After Upset Loss

Grant McCasland tips his hat to the energetic UCF crowd after his team's 88-80 defeat.

Feb. 1, 2026 at 12:15pm

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Texas Tech basketball coach Grant McCasland was impressed by the UCF crowd and the Knights' effort in their 88-80 upset victory over the Red Raiders on Saturday. McCasland acknowledged that UCF outplayed and outworked his team, which struggled with rebounding and turnovers in the loss that snapped a five-game winning streak.

Why it matters

This was a signature win for the UCF Knights, who are looking to return to the NCAA Tournament this season. The loss was a setback for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who have made the tournament in each of McCasland's first two seasons as head coach and are known for their strong defense and rebounding.

The details

Texas Tech committed 13 turnovers and was outrebounded 34-22 by UCF. McCasland said the Knights were "more physical, more aggressive, and tougher" than his team for the entire game. The Red Raiders had not lost since a defeat to Houston on January 6.

  • The game was played on Saturday, January 31, 2026.
  • Texas Tech's next game is on Monday, February 2, 2026 against Kansas.

The players

Grant McCasland

The head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team, who is in his third season leading the program.

UCF

The University of Central Florida basketball team, who earned a signature upset win over the ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders.

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What they’re saying

“What a great road environment. I was really impressed with the turnout, and just the energy in the building. You can tell that this is a team that plays well at home. We just had about as bad a start as you can have....I think UCF deserves a ton of credit for that.”

— Grant McCasland, Head Coach, Texas Tech Red Raiders

What’s next

Texas Tech will have to quickly shake off the loss as they are back in action on Monday against Kansas.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the home-court advantage and energy that the UCF fans can provide, as well as the need for Texas Tech to improve its rebounding and ball security if they want to make another NCAA Tournament run this season.