TUCSON, Ariz. — Jaden Bradley got a better look than expected. Down 3 in overtime with the final seconds ticking, the Arizona senior guard raced down court, planted both feet and fired a 3-pointer that a defender was late to contest. It didn’t drop. Texas Tech celebrated.
It’s an unusual scene, watching an opponent, even one as good as the No. 16 Red Raiders, jumping up and down, yelling and embracing at storied McKale Center. Entering Saturday, Arizona in five seasons under coach Tommy Lloyd had lost only six times here.
Make it seven.
Texas Tech’s 78-75 win was a showcase of resiliency and responding in the clutch, qualities No. 1 Arizona had mastered all season until this week. Monday’s loss at No. 9 Kansas wasn’t much of a concern because winning at Allen Fieldhouse can be nearly impossible.
Losing here, though — making defensive mistakes, failing to grab key rebounds — might be a red flag, because it’s not something Arizona has done often. All season, the Wildcats have ranked among the country’s top defensive teams. All season, they have bullied opponents on the boards. Not this time.
“If you think you’re going to go through a season unscathed, you’ve never done this before,” Lloyd said. “There’s no shame in losing to Texas Tech. We got to learn from it and understand we’re still a really good team. And keep building.”
Statement Made. pic.twitter.com/hWaFQQ3X6K
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) February 15, 2026
Lloyd has warned of this all season, not to fall in love with the program-record 23 wins to start the season or entertain grand thoughts of perfection. After the Kansas loss, he said Arizona’s season “starts now.” A few days later, he told reporters that the Wildcats could lose maybe two or three more times. Not because Lloyd thought they were struggling, but because he knows the realities of the sport. Stuff happens.
And so it did. Freshman forward Dwayne Aristode, one of Arizona’s best shooters, missed Saturday’s game with an illness. Then in the first half, standout freshman Koa Peat suffered a lower-leg injury and did not return. Peat, who had shot 6 of 23 in his previous two contests, finished with two points in 11 minutes. (His status for next week is not known.)
Without Peat, the Wildcats basically played with six players in Saturday’s second half. Even so, Arizona still led 64-57 with 3 minutes, 29 seconds left. And that’s when the Wildcats uncharacteristically fell apart. They had no answer for JT Toppin, who scored 20 of his game-high 31 points after halftime. Worse, they lost focus at key moments.
Trailing 64-63 with 30 seconds left, Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson, who played all 45 minutes, drove right. Arizona forwards Tobe Awaka and Ivan Kharchenkov shut off the penetration. Anderson looked for a teammate. Behind him, Donovan Atwell cut to the corner. Arizona’s Bradley was caught looking at the ball. He was late to respond. Atwell took the pass and swished the 3 for a 66-64 lead.
“Just an untimely error,” Lloyd said.
Kharchenkov (13 points) hit two foul shots to force overtime, but Arizona had little left. Texas Tech ran actions that got Toppin matched against the freshman Kharchenkov, and the springy 6-foot-9 forward took advantage. He scored off an offensive rebound. He scored on a post move. He scored off a deflected pass.
“He has a really quick second jump,’’ said Awaka, who had 16 points and 12 rebounds. “He has great body placement in terms of the ball and tracking it down. And he seems to always be in the right place at the right time.”
Arizona was outscored 33-12 from the 3-point arc. That’s not shocking — entering the contest, the Wildcats took just 26.5 percent of their field goal attempts from deep. Per KenPom, that ranked 363rd out of 365 teams. The Wildcats usually compensate with strong defense and rebounding. And with unmatched physicality. That didn’t happen against Texas Tech. The Red Raiders were 5 of 8 from the field in overtime. They scored on six of seven possessions. Overall, they scored 26 points in the paint, matching Arizona’s production.
The Wildcats (23-2, 10-2 in the Big 12) dropped to second place in the Big 12, a game behind Houston. Texas Tech improved to 19-6 and 9-3.
“It’s just a matter of perspective,’’ Awaka said. “I’ve kind of said this before, but March is still March. If we do what we’re supposed to do during that stretch, all of this is forgotten. That’s not to say that this doesn’t sting.”
It doesn’t get easier. Arizona hosts No. 22 BYU on Wednesday. On Saturday, the Wildcats visit No. 3 Houston. Lloyd is right. No one said this would be easy. But as the Arizona coach left the arena, he wasn’t worried about such things. Not yet.
“I’m happy, and here’s why I’m happy,’’ Lloyd said. “I’m going to go to the hospital right now, and I’m going to see my granddaughter that was just born at halftime. I’m going to go hang out with her and re-set like a normal person. We’re fine. I can’t wait to get this team back on the court and kick some ass.”