Red Raiders fall at Legends Classic

BROOKLYN, New York – Texas Tech fought back from a 10-point halftime deficit but saw a last-second shot rim out in a 78-77 loss to Saint Joseph’s at the UKG Legends Classic on Thursday at Barclays Center.

“Our guys were competitive late, we just dug ourselves too big of a hole over the course of the game,” Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said. “It was a great team we played against in a great event. We have a long way to go with our team but I believe in them. We are going to find a way to get there.”

The Red Raiders (4-1) will now play Syracuse (3-1) at 6 p.m. on Friday after the Orange took a 70-66 loss to Texas in the first game of the UKG Legends Classic. JT Toppin led Tech with 22 points and a career-high 18 rebounds to record his third straight double-double, while Darrion Williams added 18 points, six rebounds and three assists and Chance McMillian scored 17 points. Down 45-35 at halftime, the Red Raiders battled back in the second half and took its first lead on a McMillian and-one for a 64-62 advantage with 6:44 to play. McMillian would drill a 3-pointer for a 75-74 lead and a Toppin layup tied the game at 77-all with one minute to play. After Saint Joseph’s Justice Ajogbor hit the second of two free throws for a one-point lead, Tech had an opportunity to win the game on the last possession but fell short after a Williams jumper in the lane rimmed out as time expired.

“There are a lot of hurt guys in our locker room and it’s a short turnaround when we play Syracuse in a couple hours,” McCasland said. “Part of this is how you respond when things go negative. We have the right group to respond.”

The Red Raiders came into the game averaging 11.5 3-pointers per game but were limited to only 4-for-20 shooting from 3-point range in their only loss of the season. Tech shot 42.4 percent from the field but stayed close by going 17-for-20 at the free-throw line, while the Hawks were 12-for-22 on 3-pointers and also finished the night 20-for-29 at the free-throw line. Erik Reynolds scored a game-high 26 points with six 3-pointers and Xzayvier Brown added 20 points by going 13-for-13 from the line to lead the Hawks to the win.

Kerwin Walton scored eight points with one 3-pointer for the Red Raiders while Christian Anderson had five points and a team-high four assists. Elijah Hawkins added three assists and two steals, while Federiko Federiko had three points and three rebounds. McMillian made two 3-pointers, while Toppin finished the game 8-for-13 from the field and 18-rebound performance for the Red Raiders for the first time since Fardaws Aimaq had 18 against Kansas in 2023. His 18 rebounds surpassed his previous high of 16 that he had twice last season while at New Mexico. Tech finished the game with a 44-28 rebounding advantage in the game, a 44-20 scoring advantage in the paint and scored 12 points off turnovers but couldn’t overcome its struggles from deep.

Texas Tech went into halftime trailing for the first time this season after going 1-for-11 on 3-pointers and seeing Saint Joseph’s shoot 8-for-13 from 3-point range. Toppin was leading the Red Raiders with 10 points and eight rebounds, while McMillian had seven points and Williams six. Tech stayed within striking distance by shooting 10-for-11 from the free-throw line in the first half, led by Toppin going 4-for-4 and Walton 3-for-3. The Red Raiders were out-rebounded by a 19-14 margin in the half and were limited to 40.0 percent shooting overall. Williams scored the game’s first points with a layup following a turnover by the Hawks and the game would be tied at 9-all after a McMillian 3-pointer and Federiko layup. The Hawks would go on a run though, taking their first double-digit lead at 31-21 and owning a 16-point advantage with two minutes remaining in the half. A floater by Hawkins cut it to 10 with 46 seconds until the teams went into the locker room. Saint Joseph’s had three players in double figures at the break with Reynolds at 17 by going 4-for-7 from 3-point range.

Texas Tech and Syracuse will be meeting for the third time with the series tied 1-1. The programs last met in 2005 with the Orange earning the win in a Coaches vs. Cancer semifinal game in New York.

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Release Provided By Wes Bloomquist Texas Tech Athletics