texas-tech-t26.jpg
CBS Sports Graphic

When your coach and leading scorer are both ejected in the opening minutes of a road game against a higher-ranked team that's won 33 straight at home, you're supposed to lose.

No real person would take issue with that sentence, would they?

So, after Texas Tech forward JT Toppin was ejected in a way that defied common sense less than four minutes post tip off on Saturday, and after Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland understandably objected and got himself ejected too, the odds that already weren't in the Red Raiders' favor became even longer.

Texas Tech was supposed to lose.

But thanks to a heavy dose of 3-point shooting, a pair of clutch free throws from Chance McMillian with 16.5 seconds remaining in overtime and one last defensive stop on Houston's final possession, Texas Tech didn't do what it was supposed to do. Instead, the Red Raiders won 82-81 at Houston and, again, snapped the Cougars' 33-game winning streak inside the Fertitta Center that spanned more than two years. Additionally, they gave themselves a Quadrant 1 victory that's arguably the best one anybody's recorded all season, all things considered.

"We had a TV feed in the locker room, [and Toppin] was jumping up and down and celebrating so loud, and that was probably one of the greatest hugs I've ever had in my life -- genuinely," McCasland said. "Because there was a genuine belief that we were still going to win this game. He was just in disbelief as to why he was ejected."

So were the rest of us.

By now, you might've seen it. If not, take a look.

What you just watched is Toppin get doubled, at which point he had to quickly move the ball. The main issue (other than the two men standing in front of him) was that Toppin is left-handed and was suddenly trapped holding the ball like he's a right-handed pitcher working out of the stretch. So, he had to turn his body in the air to make the cross-court pass he needed to make. When he did that, his right leg flew into the air in a way that was more natural than deliberate when it connected with an extremely sensitive area of Joseph Tugler's body.

That's what happened.

College basketball scores, winners and losers: Michigan State, Houston lose first conference games
Cameron Salerno
College basketball scores, winners and losers: Michigan State, Houston lose first conference games

Only a non-serious person would even try to suggest what happened there was worthy of an ejection. So I understand why McCasland was furious; he should've been. Either way, all's well that ends well. So McCasland and Toppin were all smiles Saturday night -- and they are now the faces of a team that's ranked 15th in Sunday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings, where Auburn remains No. 1 for the 26th consecutive day.

Top 25 And 1 rankings

Biggest Movers
7 Tennessee
8 Mississippi State
Rk
Teams
  
Chg
Rcrd
1 Auburn Johni Broome finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds in Saturday's 92-82 win at Ole Miss. The Tigers' next game is Tuesday against Oklahoma. -- 30-5
2 Duke Cooper Flagg finished with 21 points and seven assists in Saturday's 87-70 win over North Carolina. The Blue Devils' next game is Wednesday at Syracuse. -- 33-3
3 Alabama Mark Sears finished with 20 points and six assists in Saturday's 90-69 win over Georgia. The Crimson Tide's next game is Saturday at Arkansas. -- 27-8
4 Tennessee Chaz Lanier finished with 19 points and five rebounds in Saturday's 64-44 win over Florida. The Vols' next game is Wednesday against Missouri. 7 29-7
5 Florida Alijah Martin was 2-of-12 from the field in Saturday's 64-44 loss at Tennessee. The Gators' next game is Tuesday against Vanderbilt. 1 32-4
6 Iowa St. Curtis Jones was 4-of-15 from the field in Saturday's 80-61 loss to Kansas State. The Cyclones' next game is Monday at Kansas. 1 25-10
7 Marquette Stevie Mitchell was 3-of-10 from the field in Saturday's 77-69 loss to UConn. The Golden Eagles' next game is Tuesday at St. John's. 1 23-11
8 Mich. St. Tre Holloman was 2-of-8 from the field in Saturday's 70-64 loss at USC. The Spartans' next game is Tuesday at UCLA. 1 29-6
9 Kentucky Koby Brea was 2-of-8 from the field in Saturday's 89-79 loss to Arkansas. The Wildcats' next game is Tuesday at Ole Miss. 1 24-11
10 Houston Milos Uzan was 4-of-12 from the field in Saturday's 82-81 overtime loss to Texas Tech. The Cougars' next game is Tuesday against Oklahoma State. 1 32-4
11 Purdue Braden Smith finished with 24 points and seven assists in Friday's 81-76 win over Indiana. The Boilermakers' next game is Tuesday at Iowa. 1 24-11
12 Texas A&M Wade Taylor IV finished with 25 points and two assists in Saturday's 76-72 win at South Carolina. The Aggies' next game is Saturday at Missouri. 3 23-11
13 Memphis Dain Dainja finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds in Thursday's 68-56 win at Tulane. The Tigers' next game is Sunday at Rice. 1 29-6
14 Missouri Caleb Grill finished with 20 points and two assists in Saturday's 88-61 win at Mississippi State. The Tigers' next game is Wednesday at Tennessee. 2 22-12
15 Texas Tech Chance McMillian finished with 23 points and five rebounds in Saturday's 82-81 overtime win at Houston. The Red Raiders' next game is Tuesday against Baylor. 6 27-8
16 Kansas KJ Adams turned the ball over four times in Saturday's 81-70 loss at Baylor. The Jayhawks' next game is Monday against Iowa State. 3 21-13
17 Ole Miss Jaylen Murray was 0-of-6 from the field in Saturday's 92-82 loss to Auburn. The Rebels' next game is Tuesday against Kentucky. -- 24-11
18 Michigan Danny Wolf finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds in Saturday's 66-63 win at Rutgers. The Wolverines' next game is Wednesday against Oregon. -- 27-9
19 St. John's Kadary Richmond finished with 24 points and eight assists in Saturday's 68-66 win over Providence. The Red Storm's next game is Tuesday against Marquette. -- 31-5
20 Miss. St. Michael Nwoko was 0-of-5 from the field in Saturday's 88-61 loss to Missouri. The Bulldogs' next game is Saturday at Georgia. 8 21-13
21 Clemson Chase Hunter finished with 20 points and two assists in Saturday's 68-58 win at NC State. The Tigers' next game is Tuesday against Georgia Tech. 2 27-7
22 Oregon Jackson Shelstad was 0-of-2 from the field in Thursday's 78-52 loss at UCLA. The Ducks' next game is Sunday against Nebraska. -- 25-10
23 Maryland Derik Queen finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds in Wednesday's 76-68 win over Wisconsin. The Terrapins' next game is Thursday at Ohio State. 1 27-8
24 Wisconsin John Tonje finished with 27 points and three assists in Saturday's 75-69 win at Northwestern. The Badgers' next game is Tuesday against Indiana. 1 27-10
25 Arizona Caleb Love finished with 27 points and seven assists in Saturday's 81-72 win at Arizona State. The Wildcats' next game is Tuesday at BYU. NR 24-12
26 Louisville Reyne Smith was 1-of-6 from the field in Saturday's 77-70 loss at Georgia Tech. The Cardinals' next game is Wednesday at Boston College. 6 27-8

In: Arizona
Out: Vanderbilt