LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Christian Anderson had 31 points and a career-high 11 rebounds, leading No. 16 Texas Tech past Cincinnati 80-68 on Tuesday night for a second consecutive victory since star forward JT Toppin’s season-ending knee injury.
Anderson’s eighth double-double of the season — and his two-year career — was his first with rebounds and filled the void the Red Raiders (21-7, 11-4 Big 12) are facing without Toppin, one of the nation’s double-double leaders. The guard’s first seven double-doubles were with assists, and he had seven against the Bearcats.
Moustapha Thiam had 21 points and 10 rebounds for Cincinnati (15-13, 7-8), which had a four-game winning streak — tied for its season best — stopped three days after an upset victory at Kansas that dropped the Jayhawks six spots to 14th in the AP Top 25.
LeJuan Watts scored 13 points for Texas Tech, and Donovan Atwell, one of the nation’s best 3-point shooters, added 12 while taking all nine of his shots from long range and making four.
Anderson had his highest-scoring game in the Big 12 as the Red Raiders made it a pair of double-digit victories since Toppin went down in a loss at Arizona State.
A layup by Anderson started a 15-2 run to close the first half, and Atwell finished it with a 3. Jaylen Petty put the Red Raiders in front for good at 34-32 by hitting from beyond the arc.
Thiam hit a 3-pointer to get the Bearcats within six early in the second half, but Anderson answered with a 3 at the other end to start his run of nine consecutive Texas Tech points.
Jalen Celestine scored 13 points for the Bearcats.
Up next
Cincinnati hosts Oklahoma State on Saturday.
Texas Tech plays at No. 4 Iowa State on Saturday.
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