JT Toppin and No. 12 Texas Tech keep proving toughness, this time against No. 6 Houston

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — JT Toppin and No. 12 Texas Tech just keep proving their toughness.

Toppin had another double-double with 31 points and 12 rebounds as the Red Raiders beat No. 6 Houston 90-86 on Saturday, when they outrebounded the Cougars and overcame a spectacular 42-point game by true freshman Kingston Flemings.

“They did an awesome, awesome job on the offensive boards,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “They did to us what we’ve made a living doing to other people.”

Texas Tech (16-4, 6-1 Big 12) finished with a 44-28 rebounding edge, including 21 offensive boards that led to 22 second-chance points.

“There were some haymakers being thrown in that game. I mean, I’m talking like every time a shot goes up, it was just literal fighting,” Tech coach Grant McCasland said. “I mean, it’s not an easy way to play.”

But it sure backs up McCasland’s prominent saying for the Red Raiders: “Toughest Team Wins.”

Tech has a five-game winning streak since a 69-65 loss at Houston on Jan. 6, and now has wins on consecutive Saturdays over higher-ranked teams that arrived in Lubbock with long winning streaks. The Cougars had an 11-game winning streak overall, and had won a Big 12-record 16 consecutive true road games over the past two years.

BYU, then ranked 11th, had a 13-game winning streak before its 84-71 loss to Tech last weekend.

Houston (17-2, 5-1) ranked second nationally allowing only 60.1 points per game, but the Red Raiders led 55-49 at halftime Saturday. That was the most points the Cougars have given up in a half during Sampson’s 12 seasons, and it was only the third time a team scored 90 against them in regulation. Memphis did it twice, in 2016 and 2018.

Flemings’ 42 points tied for the most ever by a Houston player against a Top 25 opponent, according to ESPN research. He was also the first player to score 40 points for a Sampson-coached team since Brian Quinnett had 44 for Washington State in 1989.

“Kingston put us on his back and put us in position to win the game,” Sampson said. “We just didn’t do a very good job on the boards.”

There were eight lead changes and eight ties in the game that Houston led for 18 minutes, 41 seconds. Tech was in front 18:12, including the final 5:55 after Donovan Atwell hit a go-ahead 3, then added another 34 seconds later — both on assists from the big man Toppin.

The Red Raiders are 11-0 at home this season and have won nine of 10 games overall — the loss being in Houston. Tech was the only Big 12 team to beat the Cougars last season, when they were conference champs and the national runner-up.

Toppin’s 44 career double-doubles are the second most for active players behind Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg (48). Toppin has 32 in 52 games with Tech since transferring from New Mexico after his freshman season.

“Just do what I do best, trying to play for my team,” Toppin said. “We just kept staying together. I love these guys.”

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