Amani Lyles #0 of the Akron Zips holds onto the ball against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the second half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Mike Carlson) From: Getty Images Tyeree Bryan #1 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders holds onto the ball against Eric Mahaffey #4 of the Akron Zips during the second half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Mike Carlson) From: Getty Images Texas Tech Red Raiders battle for a rebound against the Akron Zips during the first half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Mike Carlson) From: Getty Images Jaylen Petty #11 and Lejuan Watts #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders fight for a loose ball during the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the Akron Zips held at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos) From: Getty Images LeJuan Watts #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders attempts a lay up against Evan Mahaffey #12 of the Akron Zips during the second half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Mike Carlson) From: Getty Images TAMPA, Fla. - Texas Tech advanced in the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament with their win against Akron on Friday.
The Red Raiders walloped the Zips 91-71 during the first-round game in Tampa, Florida.
No. 5 Texas Tech held a five-point lead over No. 12 Akron by the end of the first half, and maintained a steady lead over Akron during the second half.
The Red Raiders held a scoring streak that lasted eight possessions in the second half.
The Red Raiders dominance was apparent in statistics, with a 61% rate of field goals and a 53% rate of three pointers. However, Akron dominated free-throws with an 83% rate.
It’s the second-straight year Texas Tech has made it to the second round of the tournament.
Key players for Texas Tech
- Guard Jaylen Petty scored 24 points and hit five out of seven three-pointers.
- Guard Christian Anderson scored 18 points and hit about half of his field goals.
- Forward Donovan Atwell scored 15 points.
What it means
With the win, Texas Tech advances to face Alabama in a second round game Sunday. Akron sees the season end.
The Source: Information in this story came from the NCAA's March Madness Live website.