The undefeated LSU Tigers face their first nationally-ranked test Sunday afternoon when they face No. 19 Texas Tech in the Coast to Coast Challenge at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
The game will be broadcast on the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network (Guaranty Media affiliate 100.7 FM The Tiger) with the Voice of the Tigers Chris Blair and former LSU head coach John Brady. The game will be televised on ESPN2 with Roy Philpott and Richard Hendrix on the call.
LSU is 8-0 after winning in overtime at Boston College on Wednesday night, 78-69, in the ACC/SEC Challenge. The Tigers rallied from four down in the final minute as point guard Dedan Thomas Jr., scored twice to force the OT and then scored the first four points of the overtime for the Tigers. Thomas finished with 23 points and seven assists in the game.
The win was the sixth straight OT win for the Tigers and Coach Matt McMahon is now 3-0 in overtime games at LSU.
The Tigers will be looking for its first win over an AP Top 25 team since beating No. 17 Kentucky in Baton Rouge on Feb. 21, 2024.
Texas Tech has won the last three meetings, all in the SEC/Big 12 challenge series in 2017, 2021 and 2023. In all, LSU has won three of the nine meetings.
The 2025-26 Texas Tech team is 6-2 on the season, having won their last two contests against New Orleans (82-50) on Nov. 26 and Wyoming, 76-72, last Sunday. In the Wyoming game, JT Toppin led the way with 27 points with nine boards, while Lejuan Watts and 19 points, with Christian Anderson 15 points and five assists.
In a game tied eight times with seven lead changes, Texas Tech was 27-of-55 from the field with four treys and 18-of-30 from the free throw line. Half of Texas Tech’s 76 points came in the paint and rebounds between Texas Tech and Wyoming were even.
Toppin leads the team in scoring and rebounding averaging a double double of 22.1 points and 11 rebounds. Anderson is at 18.1 points a game.
Grant McCasland is in his third season as the head coach at Texas Tech after a six-year stint at North Texas.
Mike Nwoko, who is on an eight-game double figure scoring streak, is averaging 16.8 points a game with Thomas at 15.5 points and a league-leading 7.00 assists per game. Marquel Sutton averaged 13.3 points and 9.0 rebounds, while Max Mackinnon is at 12.9 points per game.
After Sunday’s game, LSU students will have final exams during the week before the Tigers next game on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans against SMU in the Compete 4 Cause Classic.
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