Texas Tech forward JT Toppin (15) attempts to drive past Duke forward Maliq Brown (6) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

NEW YORK (AP) — Christian Anderson scored 23 of his 27 points in the second half, including the tiebreaking free throw with 3.4 seconds left, and No. 19 Texas Tech rallied from 17 down to beat third-ranked Duke 82-81 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

Anderson was fouled by Caleb Foster and made the front end of a 1-and-1 before missing his second attempt. Isaiah Evans grabbed the rebound with 1.6 seconds remaining, and Duke called a timeout to set up a play.

Foster inbounded near the Texas Tech bench, but Cameron Boozer’s 3-point try bounced off the rim — and the shot might have come after the final horn, anyway.

Red Raiders players poured off the bench to celebrate as Texas Tech (9-3) improved to 1-3 against Top 25 opponents this season and snapped a six-game skid versus ranked teams.

It was the program’s first win over a top-five foe since defeating No. 1 Baylor 65-62 in January 2022.

After leading 58-41 with 16 1/2 minutes to go, Duke (11-1) blew a 17-point lead in a loss for the first time since February 2007 against Florida State.

Anderson gave Texas Tech an 81-77 lead by converting a three-point play with 1:14 left. Cayden Boozer drained a corner 3-pointer for Duke before his twin brother tied the score at 81 when he made one of two free throws with 18 seconds remaining.

LeJuan Watts scored 20 points for Texas Tech before fouling out with 11:33 left, and the Red Raiders shot 55.2% from the field. JT Toppin overcame foul trouble and finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. His jumper over Cameron Boozer gave Texas Tech a 78-77 advantage with 1:35 left.

Cameron Boozer led Duke with 23 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. He shot 7 for 11 from the floor, but the freshman forward missed five of his 14 free throws.

NO. 1 ARIZONA 68, SAN DIEGO STATE 45

PHOENIX (AP) — Koa Peat scored 11 points, Tobe Awaka grabbed 15 rebounds and top-ranked Arizona smothered San Diego State in the Naismith Hall of Fame Series.

The Wildcats (11-0) had a hard time getting their free-flowing offense going against the brutish Aztecs (6-4), relying on defense instead.

Arizona held San Diego State to 26% shooting from the floor and 1 of 14 from 3-point distance, turning a tight game into a runaway after halftime at the home of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns.

The Wildcats are one of six remaining unbeaten teams following No. 3 Duke’s loss to No. 19 Texas Tech.

Reese Dixon-Waters led San Diego State with eight points. Leading scorer BJ Davis had four on 1-of-12 shooting.

NO. 6 PURDUE 88, NO. 21 AUBURN 60

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Trey Kaufman-Renn had 18 points and six rebounds, and Braden Smith added 11 points and a season-high 14 assists to help Purdue blow out Auburn.

C.J. Cox scored 14 points, making four 3-pointers, as the Boilermakers (11-1) won their third straight game since getting routed at home by then-No. 10 Iowa State two weeks ago. Purdue improved to 3-1 in the annual Indy Classic by shooting 55.9% from the field.

Kevin Overton had 22 points and Keyshawn Hall added 14 to lead Auburn (8-4), which has dropped three of four. The Tigers and Oakland are the only Division I teams to play four top-10 opponents this season, but Auburn is 0-4 in those matchups — losing each of the last three by at least 28 points.

NO. 8 HOUSTON 94, NO. 14 ARKANSAS 85

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Emanuel Sharp scored 22 points, Kingston Flemings added 21 and Houston used some excellent long-range shooting to beat Arkansas.

The Cougars (11-1) shot 44% from 3-point distance (11 for 25) and 52% from the field overall in winning their fifth straight game.

Freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. led Arkansas (9-3) with 27 points and seven assists. Malique Ewin added 20 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Razorbacks, who had won four in a row.

NO 9 MICHIGAN STATE 79, OAKLAND 70

Coen Carr scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half to help Michigan State hold off Oakland for a 79.

The Spartans (11-1) have won three straight since losing their only game this season, a six-point setback to No. 3 Duke.

The Golden Grizzlies (6-7) led for much of the first half and were ahead by as much as seven points before trailing the entire second half.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo and Oakland coach Greg Kampe, who are friends, coordinated to wear custom-made holiday sweaters. Izzo’s had “naughty list” on it with his likeness arguing with a referee. Kampe’s had “nice list” on it with him bumping fists with an official.

NO. 11 LOUISVILLE 94, MONTANA 54

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Sananda Fru scored a season-high 18 points to lead five players in double figures as Louisville beat Montana.

Just like Tuesday, when they lost 83-62 at No. 20 Tennessee, the Cardinals (10-2) played without star freshman point guard Mikel Brown Jr., who sat out with a back injury. While Louisville started slowly against the Grizzlies (6-7), the Cardinals never trailed and eventually pulled away, ending the first half on a 17-0 run to lead 42-20 at halftime.

Fru, a 6-foot-11 forward from Germany, made all seven of his shots in a 14-point first half, which tied his previous season high. The junior finished 9 of 11 and tied a season high with eight rebounds.

Isaac McKneely finished with 16 points and made 4 of 6 3-pointers for Louisville, which shot 52.3%. Ryan Conwell added 14, while J’Vonne Hadley scored 13 and Khani Rooths had 10.

NO. 12 NORTH CAROLINA 71, OHIO STATE 70

ATLANTA (AP) — Henri Veesaar dunked in the winning basket with 7.2 seconds remaining off a pass from stumbling Seth Trimble, and North Carolina held off Ohio State.

Trimble, playing his first game since breaking his left forearm in a Nov. 9 training mishap, wanted to shoot but tripped as he spun into the lane. As the senior guard was falling to the court, he managed to dish the ball to Veesaar, who slipped past his defender for the emphatic slam.

Ohio State had one last chance to pull off the upset. Actually, two.

John Mobley Jr. missed a 3-pointer, only to have Devin Royal grab the offensive rebound right under the basket. He went back up ahead of the horn, but Caleb Wilson blocked the shot to preserve the win for the Tar Heels.

Trimble, who played with a wrap covering much of his left arm, and Veesaar both finished with 17 points. Caleb Wilson led North Carolina (11-1) with 20.

Trimble also did a stellar defensive job on Ohio State star Bruce Thornton, who was held to 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting. He came into the game hitting 60.2% from the field.

Royal led the Buckeyes (8-3) with 18 points.

KENTUCKY 78, NO. 22 ST. JOHNS 66

ATLANTA (AP) — Otega Oweh scored 20 points, Jayden Quaintance made a big first impression and Kentucky stifled St. John’s in the second half, beating former coach Rick Pitino.

St. John’s (7-4) had a 41-33 lead after Zuby Ejiofor converted a three-point play with 16:07 remaining. But Kentucky (8-4) turned up the defensive pressure and took control, ripping off a 14-0 run and holding the Red Storm without a field goal for nearly nine minutes.

When Oziyah Sellers finally put one in for St. John’s with 7:10 to go, the Wildcats had pushed out to a double-digit lead. It was Kentucky’s most impressive performance in a sluggish season that knocked the powerhouse program out of The Associated Press Top 25.

NO. 23 VIRGINIA 80, MARYLAND 72

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Dallin Hall scored a season-high 20 points, Jacari White had a spectacular dunk and scored 15, and Virginia beat Maryland in the first meeting since 2018 between the former Atlantic Coast Conference rivals.

Hall went 8 of 8 from the field for the Cavaliers (10-1). Devin Tillis added 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting on a night when Virginia’s leading scorer, Thijs De Ridder, went 1 of 8 from the field and scored five points.

David Coit led Maryland (6-6) with 15 points and Myles Rice added 12.

News from © The Associated Press, 2025