JT Toppin leads No. 9 Texas Tech past Baylor 76-74 in Big 12 Tournament
Texas Tech forward JT Toppin (15) is pressured by Baylor forward Marino Dubravcic, right, as he puts up a shot during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Big 12 men's tournament Thursday, March 13, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. Credit: AP/Charlie Riedel
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — JT Toppin had 26 points and 10 rebounds to lift No. 9 Texas Tech to a 76-74 victory over Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday night.
The second-seeded Red Raiders never trailed but almost gave up the lead in the final minute after missing their final 10 field-goal attempts. VJ Edgecombe's attempt at a tying jumper at the buzzer missed off the glass.
Darrion Williams scored 14 points and Elijah Hawkins and Kerwin Walton had 12 each for Texas Tech (25-7), which will face Arizona in Friday's semifinals.
Norchad Omier had 29 points and 15 rebounds for seventh-seeded Baylor (19-14).
Takeaways
Baylor: The Bears need more offense from players other than Omier. Edgecombe, with 11 points, was the only other Baylor player in double figures.
Texas Tech: The Red Raiders shot 19.4% from the field in the second half, including 3 of 15 from 3-point range.
Key moment
Omier picked up two fouls in 11 seconds, the second with 9:46 left, giving him four for the game. He went to the bench with the Bears trailing 68-58. The Bears managed to cut into the lead, but their momentum was stalled when Jeremy Roach picked up his fourth foul with 5:29 left.
Texas Tech's Darrion Williams (5) and JT Toppin (15) celebrate after defeating Baylor in an NCAA college basketball game during the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Conference tournament, Thursday, March 13, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. Credit: AP/Charlie Riedel
Key stat
Texas Tech hit 12 3-pointers in the first half, including 11 of 15 in the first 12:35, and finished 15 of 34 (44.1%). The Red Raiders averaged 10.1 3-pointers per game at a 37.8% clip this season.
Up next
The Bears have been projected to earn an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament. The Red Raiders split their games with Arizona this season.
