Toppin scores 20, Anderson adds 18 to help Texas Tech beat Cincinnati 81-71

CINCINNATI — JT Toppin scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half, freshman Christian Anderson added 18 points, including a season-high tying four 3-pointers, and Texas Tech beat Cincinnati 81-71 on Tuesday night.

Chance McMillian made three 3s and finished with 17 points for Texas Tech (14-4, 5-2 Big 12) and Kevin Overton scored 14.

Jizzle James led Cincinnati (12-6, 2-5) with 17 points — his most in a conference game this season — and Dillon Mitchell scored 12. Simas Lukosius added 10, going 1 of 7 from the field and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line.

James, Mitchell and Day Day Thomas scored four points apiece in a 14-5 run that gave the Bearcats a seven-point lead eight minutes into the game. Texas Tech, which made just two of its first 11 shots, made 13 of 18, and Anderson scored 13 points from there to take a 42-38 lead into halftime and never again trailed.

James sandwiched a layup and a dunk around two pairs of free throws by Lukosius as Cincinnati used an 8-2 spurt to cut its deficit to five with 6:57 left in the game, but McMillian answered with a 3-pointer and the Bearcats got no closer.

Toppin converted a three-point play to give Texas Tech its biggest lead of the game at 75-63 with 3:42 remaining.

The Bearcats shot 52% (27 of 52) from the field and limited Texas Tech — which went into the game shooting 49.6% — to 45% shooting but the Red Raiders hit 12 3-pointers. Cincinnati hit 3 of 14 from behind the arc.

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