MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — JT Toppin had 22 points and nine rebounds and No. 13 Texas Tech broke a two-game losing skid with a 70-63 victory over West Virginia on Sunday.
Donovan Atwell added 15 points for the Red Raiders (17-6, 7-3 Big 12) and Christian Anderson had 13 points and 11 assists in his return from a one-game absence because of illness.
Brenen Lorient scored 20 points for West Virginia (15-9, 6-5), which lost for just the second time in 15 home games.
West Virginia scored the first four baskets after halftime, all on layups, to trim a 13-point deficit to 39-35, but the Mountaineers went the next four minutes without a basket and got no closer.
Texas Tech, which never trailed, kept distancing itself with a steady diet of 3-pointers. Jaylen Petty, Atwell and Toppin each hit from long distance in a span of less than two minutes, and the Red Raiders pushed their lead to 52-37 with 13:17 remaining.
Lorient scored nine points in the final four minutes, but West Virginia's comeback bid came up short.
The Red Raiders hit 13 3-pointers while West Virginia missed 20 of 22. The Mountaineers made just 13 of 23 free throws (57%).
Toppin, the Big 12’s third-leading scorer at 21.8 points per game, was coming off a 10-point performance Monday against Kansas, his second lowest of the season.
West Virginia leading scorer Honor Huff was held to six points, 10 under his average.
The game was a reunion between West Virginia first-year coach Ross Hodge and mentor Grant McCasland. Hodge was an assistant under McCasland for seven seasons at Arkansas State and North Texas, taking over for the Mean Green when McCasland became Texas Tech’s coach in 2023.
Texas Tech hosts Colorado on Wednesday.
West Virginia plays at UCF on Saturday.
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Texas Tech forward JT Toppin (15) shoots while defended by West Virginia center Harlan Obioha (55) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Morgantown, W.Va. (AP Photo/Kathleen Batten)
MILAN (AP) — At 19, Hilda Svensson wasn’t born the last time Sweden’s women’s hockey team medaled at the Olympics.
The Ohio State freshman and a collection of young and brashly confident teammates are eager to rectify what’s been a 20-year drought at the Milan Cortina Games.
“I think we have a good chance,” Svensson said after setting up two goals in a 4-0 win over France on Sunday.
“I think we have one of the best teams now since then. And we have a really good energy,” she added. “Everyone on this team wants to take that medal. And I think everyone’s going to work very hard for that.”
One step at a time.
Improving to 3-0, Sweden earned a berth in the quarterfinal round and is one win — or a loss by Japan (1-1) — from clinching Group B.
The next challenge is more daunting, with Sweden having to win two more games to medal in a tournament in which the U.S. entered as favorites, followed by defending Olympic champion Canada, Finland and Czechia.
Difficult as the road ahead appears, Svensson’s outlook reflects a transformational shift in the program’s trajectory. The core of Sweden’s roster is made up of players who won silver at the 2018 U-18 championships.
“I really like how they’re not afraid to lose,” 31-year-old captain Anna Kjellbin said of the youngsters. “They just see possibilities to win all the time. And I think that’s one of the strengths of that generation.”
Sweden’s roster features eight players 22 and younger, with seven currently competing at U.S. colleges. They include Svensson, who is tied for seventh in the nation with 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) in 26 games.
Against France, Minnesota-Duluth senior forward Thea Johansson scored her Olympic tournament-leading fourth goal. Also scoring were Sara Hjalmarsson, Hanna Thuvik and Lisa Johansson. Emma Soderberg stopped 14 shots for her first Olympic shutout in six games.
France dropped to 0-3 in its Olympic debut, and is in jeopardy of not qualifying for the quarterfinals. Only the top three of five Group B nations advance. Alice Philbert had 45 saves in a game the Swedes outshot France 49-14.
In the day’s only other game, Finland (0-1) renewed its rivalry in facing Czechia (0-2) in Group A play.
Sweden has so far played to its high expectations by outscoring opponents by a combined margin of 14-1. The team has finished no better than seventh at the past two Olympics after finishing fourth at the 2014 Sochi Games.
The drop-off has been dramatic for the only nation other than Canada and the U.S. to win an Olympic silver medal. The Swedes did so at the 2006 Turin Games by upsetting the Americans in the semifinals. Sweden also won bronze in 2002.
“The time for us is now,” coach Ulf Lundberg declared before the tournament opened. He based that on what he called a “we don’t care” attitude his players have adopted.
“You have those youngsters coming in and they’re not afraid of anything. I love it," Lundberg said. “We want to be more like the Canadians and the Americans that feel that we are best, because then you have the grace and the swag."
Lundberg has been part of the transformation. He took over the women’s team after playing a role in developing several Swedish men’s stars, including Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft.
Encouraged as he is, Lundberg is not looking beyond Sweden closing its preliminary round schedule against Japan on Tuesday.
“We’re not looking or listening to media talking about maybe semifinal, maybe medal, maybe 2006 again,” Lundberg said. “Slow down. Here and now.”
AP Olympic coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Sweden's Lisa Johansson, right, celebrates after scoring her side's fourth goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between France and Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, Pool)
Sweden's Head Coach Ulf Lundberg gestures during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between France and Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
France's Jade Barbirati, left, challenges Sweden's Hilda Svensson during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between the France and Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
France's Estelle Duvin, right, fights with Sweden's Anna Kjellbin during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between France and Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Sweden's Thea Johansson, left, celebrates after scoring her side's opening goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between the France and Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
