No. 8 Houston hosts Toppin and No. 15 Texas Tech

By Canadian Press on January 5, 2026.

Texas Tech Red Raiders (11-3, 1-0 Big 12) at Houston Cougars (13-1, 1-0 Big 12)

Houston; Tuesday, 9 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: No. 15 Texas Tech takes on No. 8 Houston after JT Toppin scored 23 points in Texas Tech’s 102-80 victory against the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

The Cougars are 7-0 in home games. Houston is 9-1 against opponents with a winning record.

The Red Raiders are 1-0 against conference opponents. Texas Tech scores 85.1 points and has outscored opponents by 11.5 points per game.

Houston averages 9.1 made 3-pointers per game, 2.4 more made shots than the 6.7 per game Texas Tech gives up. Texas Tech averages 11.1 made 3-pointers per game this season, 4.8 more made shots on average than the 6.3 per game Houston gives up.

The Cougars and Red Raiders meet Tuesday for the first time in Big 12 play this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Chris Cenac Jr. is averaging nine points and 7.4 rebounds for the Cougars. Emanuel Sharp is averaging 15.8 points over the last 10 games.

Christian Anderson averages 3.4 made 3-pointers per game for the Red Raiders, scoring 20.5 points while shooting 43.9% from beyond the arc. Toppin is averaging 20.2 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Cougars: 9-1, averaging 79.9 points, 32.6 rebounds, 16.4 assists, 9.0 steals and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 45.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 61.8 points per game.

Red Raiders: 8-2, averaging 83.8 points, 33.9 rebounds, 14.9 assists, 6.1 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 75.0 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

The Associated Press

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