Sports
No. 11 Texas Tech visits UCF seeking sixth straight win
Jan 24, 2026; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders forward JT Toppin (15) is surrounded by members of the Texas Tech Red Raiders student body after the game against the Houston Cougars at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images With five consecutive wins under its belt, No. 11 Texas Tech will try to keep rolling against UCF on Saturday in Orlando, Fla.
Last Saturday against No. 6 Houston, the Red Raiders (16-4, 6-1 Big 12) avenged their lone conference loss by holding the Cougars at bay, 90-86, using a double-double by All-American forward JT Toppin. He totaled 31 points and 12 rebounds in a full 40-minute effort.
“What I was most thrilled about is that we didn’t back down,” third-year coach Grant McCasland said. “It looked like they knocked us off-center when they got a lead in the second half and we looked tired. It looked like we were trying to figure out what was left in our tank to finish.
“There was a lot of resilience in our timeouts.”
After losing to the Cougars 69-65 in Houston on Jan. 6, McCasland’s squad squared the season series and rebounded by simply rebounding.
In the first meeting, Houston held a 36-35 edge on the glass, but the Red Raiders owned the paint at home last weekend. While outboarding the visitors 44-28, they scrapped for an amazing 21 on the offensive end.
With regard to points in the paint, Texas Tech created a 26-22 advantage — the margin of victory — to end Houston’s 11-game winning streak overall and its 16-game road streak that lasted nearly two full years.
Toppin, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year, said the rematch had to go down that way.
“In a game like this with as physical as they are, you have to have the same mindset of being tough,” said Toppin, who earned Big 12 Player of the Week honors for the third time in a month.
The Dallas native averages a double-double (22.1 points, 10.9 rebounds) and also leads the Red Raiders in blocks (1.7). Guard Christian Anderson provides 19.8 points, a Big 12-best 7.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game
Winners of four of their past six contests, the Knights (16-4, 5-3) have another chance to make a March Madness-worthy statement. When top-ranked Arizona visited UCF on Jan. 17, the Knights trailed by just three at the break before falling 84-77.
If UCF hopes to upset Texas Tech, it likely needs to show the determination displayed in Tuesday’s incredible home comeback against Arizona State.
Down a dozen to the Sun Devils with 6:09 remaining and without any kind of spark, coach Johnny Dawkins’ group went on an 11-0 run. In the final 35 seconds, Jordan Burks sank a go-ahead 3-pointer and created a turnover to deliver a shocking 79-76 win.
“We kept competing,” Dawkins said. “You’re not going to make shots every night, and I try to instill that in our guys. … So you have to find another way. I’m glad these guys believed in the system enough to dig deep and find a way.”
Burks’ trey was the final of five in UCF’s shooting spree down the stretch. Chris Johnson made two while Riley Kugel and Carmelo Pacheco each drained one to craft the comeback.
“We preach every day before the game, you’re going to get some ups and down,” said Knights forward Jamichael Stillwell, who averages 12.5 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds. “You’ve got to fight adversity and stay together.”
Kugel tops UCF with 15.1 points per game followed by Themus Fulks’ 13.9 points and 7.2 assists.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Josh Hubbard, hot-shooting Mississippi State outlast Ole Miss
Feb 14, 2026; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Josh Hubbard (12) drives to the basket as Mississippi Rebels forward Malik Dia (0) defends during the first half at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images Junior guard Josh Hubbard scored 32 points on 12-for-16 shooting and dished out a game-high six assists to lead the most accurate Mississippi State shooting performance of the season in a 90-78 win over host Ole Miss on Saturday night in Oxford.
Mississippi State (12-13, 4-8 Southeastern Conference) had shot better than 50% only four times all season but shot 62.1% (18-for-29) in the first half and finished at a season-best 56.9% (33-for-58) from the field. The Bulldogs also shot 11-for-24 (45.8%) from 3-point range, which tied the team’s season high for long-range makes and was the second-best accuracy from distance.
Hubbard scored 16 of his points in the first half when the Bulldogs built a 19-point lead, 47-28, after 20 minutes and helped them end a run of eight losses in their previous nine games. It was the fifth 30-plus scoring performance of the season for Hubbard, who had 31 points in a home loss to Tennessee on Wednesday.
State jumped out to a 13-3 lead in the first five minutes of the game, with Achor Achor scoring the team’s first 11 points and Hubbard dropping a jumper to end the run.
Ole Miss pulled within 24-21 on AJ Storr’s layup with 7:43 left in the half, but State responded with the next seven points, including a Hubbard 3-pointer. The Rebels closed within five, but the Bulldogs finished the half on a 16-2 run with seven more points coming from Hubbard. Ole Miss never pulled closer than 12 points in the second half.
Hubbard was joined in double figure scoring by Achor, who tallied 18 points on 6-for-8 shooting and also grabbed five rebounds. Jayden Epps added 12 points and seven rebounds.
Ole Miss (11-14, 3-9) has lost its last seven games and struggled to find offense aside from Malik Dia and reserve Storr.
Dia tallied 32 points on 11-for-20 shooting and pulled down seven boards. Storr scored 21 points on 8-for-16 shooting while grabbing six rebounds and dishing five assists. No other Rebel topped six points.
–Field Level Media
Sports
US men’s hockey confident it can peak at right time in Milan
Feb 14, 2026; Milan, Italy; Matt Boldy of United States celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates against Denmark in men’s ice hockey group C play during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images MILAN, Italy — The United States men’s hockey team has yet to live up to its full potential on a tight timeline to reach the Olympic podium in Milan, but forward Brady Tkachuk assured fans the medal contenders would find their rhythm.
Widely seen as the likeliest challengers to powerhouse Canada, the all-NHL American team overcame Denmark 6-3 in a surprisingly close Group C contest at Santagiulia Arena on Saturday, coming back from a 2-1 deficit after the first period.
The United States, which beat Latvia 5-1 in its Thursday opener, plays Germany while Denmark plays Latvia on Sunday in the final two Group C games.
“It’s one of those quick tournaments that you kind of have to find it quick and I think that’s what’s good about our group, we’re just kind of scratching at it right now and it’s going to work out that we’re going to peak at the right time,” predicted Tkachuk, whose goal early in the second period helped spark the U.S. fight back.
“(We’re) finding chemistry and building off that,” added Tkachuk, who plays for the NHL’s Ottawa Senators and is half of one of two sets of brothers on the U.S. Olympic squad.
The contest on Saturday opened with a perplexing miss by U.S. goalie Jeremy Swayman, who lost track of the puck as it slipped by him early in the first period. But the Boston Bruins netminder said he never lost the support of his teammates.
“The confidence didn’t waver – didn’t waver with myself, didn’t waver with anyone on the team. That’s why this is such an elite group,” he told reporters. “I think it’s good to go through adversity. You don’t want to, but it’s good.”
–Reuters, special to Field Level Media
Sports
JT Toppin, No. 16 Texas Tech outlast No. 1 Arizona in OT
Feb 14, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) dribbles the ball while Texas Tech Red Raiders forward LeJuan Watts (3) attempts to block him during the first half of the game at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images JT Toppin had 31 points, eight of them in overtime, and pulled down 13 rebounds to lead No. 16 Texas Tech a 78-75 win over No. 1 Arizona on Saturday at Tucson, Ariz.
Toppin recorded his 16th double-double of the season for the Red Raiders (19-6, 9-3 Big 12), who have won three straight.
Arizona (23-2, 10-2) has lost consecutive games after starting the season unbeaten through its first 23 games.
Christian Anderson, who played all 45 minutes, finished with 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds for Texas Tech.
Arizona had five players in double figures, led by 16 points from Tobe Awaka and Brayden Burries. Ivan Kharchenkov finished with 13 points, Jaden Bradley had 11 and Motiejus Krivas scored 10 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. .
Toppin scored Texas Tech’s first six points of overtime to give the Red Raiders a 72-69 lead with 2:34 left.
Burries made two free throws with 2:17 remaining in the extra period to cut that lead to one point before a 3-pointer by Donovan Atwell, who finished with 11 points, gave the Red Raiders a 75-71 lead with 2:03 left.
Awaka was fouled and he made both free throws with 1:37 remaining.
After Toppin made a shot in the lane, Awaka converted a putback to cut the lead to 77-75 with 59 seconds left.
Texas Tech had two offensive rebounds before LeJuan Watts was fouled with 4.5 seconds left. Watts made one of two free-throw attempts to give the Red Raiders a 78-75 lead.
A would-be game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer by Bradley was off the mark.
Trailing by seven with 3:15 left in regulation, Texas Tech went on a 9-0 run down the stretch, taking advantage of Arizona missing seven straight field-goal attempts.
After a missed layup by Bradley and a failed tip-in attempt by Krivas, Atwell made a 3-pointer with 25 seconds left to give Texas Tech a 66-64 lead.
Kharchenkov was fouled and he made two free throws with 16 seconds left to tie the game. A last-second attempt by Anderson bounced off the rim and out.
Heralded Arizona freshman forward Koa Peat, who did not attempt a field goal, did not play in the second half because of a lower-body injury.
Dwayne Aristode, a freshman reserve for the Wildcats, was sidelined due to an illness.
–Field Level Media
Josh Hubbard, hot-shooting Mississippi State outlast Ole Miss
US men’s hockey confident it can peak at right time in Milan
