TAMPA, Fla. — Jaylen Petty scored seven straight points to create some separation as Texas Tech basketball held off Akron 91-71 in the first round of the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament on Friday in Benchmark International Arena.
Akron was within four points with 7:57 left before the Red Raiders (23-10) went on a 16-4 run that provided the cushion to survive the March Madness scare.
Petty had a breakaway dunk in transition and followed it up with a stepback 3-pointer and a mid-range jumper to make it a 16-point advantage with 4:12 left. Petty, the freshman guard, finished with a career-high 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range, to go with four assists and three rebounds.
Christian Anderson finished with 18 points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals. Josiah Moseley had 16 points and four blocks off the bench.
Amani Lyles had 26 points and Shammah Scott 20 for Akron.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech vs Akron in 2026 March Madness: Jalen Petty carries TTU late