Texas Tech’s bus tires were slashed after the Red Raiders defeated No. 1 Arizona on Saturday, Feb. 14, a Texas Tech spokesperson confirmed to the USA TODAY Network on Feb. 15.
‘The team bus had one tired punctured overnight but it was replaced in the morning,’ the statement read. ‘There were no disruptions to the team’s travel schedule.’
A video circulated social media Feb. 15 of a sharp object puncturing a Texas Tech bus tire after its 78-75 upset win over No. 1 Arizona, which suffered only its second loss of the season. One video of the tires being slashed on X has over 670,000 views.
The Red Raiders’ star duo of forward JT Toppin (31 points) and guard Christian Anderson (19 points) scored 50 combined of the team’s 78 points. Toppin also added 13 rebounds, while Anderson chipped in eight assists and six boards.
Arizona lost star true freshman Koa Peat to injury in the game. The 6-8 forward scored two points and didn’t play after suffering the lower-body injury the first half.
The Wildcats entered the week as one of two remaining undefeated teams in Division I, along with No. 24 Miami (Ohio). However, they fell to Kansas on the road on Feb. 9 before dropping another to Texas Tech, and will lose their No. 1 ranking in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll update on Feb. 16.
