Texas Tech makes history in NCAA Tournament victory over Buffalo

Something had to give when one of the nation’s top defensive teams, Texas Tech, met Buffalo, which entered the West Region second-round game fifth in scoring.

Defense won.

The Red Raiders defeated the Bulls, 78-58, to advance to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 for the second straight year.

Buffalo shot 36.5 percent from the floor in what coach Nate Oats called the team’s “worst performance of the year.”

Tech does that to many teams. The co-Big 12 champions rank fourth nationally in scoring defense, holding teams 59.3 points per game before Sunday.

“We tried to keep them out of the middle as much as we could, tried to make them take tough shots and keep them off the boards,” Tech coach Chris Beard said. “I’m glad we were able to do that for 40 minutes.”

It was a group effort for the Red Raiders. All five starters scored in double figures led by Big 12 player of the Jarrett Culver with 16.

Texas Tech, seeded third in the West Region, will meet second-seeded Michigan on Thursday in Anaheim, Calif.

The Red Raiders carry the Big 12 flag as the league’s lone survivor after the first weekend, and the consecutive Sweet 16 appearance is a first in school history.

“I’m glad to be a part of it, making history like that” Culver said. “It’s a blessing to be part of something that special. Coach Beard came to Texas Tech and built a great culture. We all bought in.”

This story was originally published March 24, 2019 at 11:04 PM with the headline "Texas Tech makes history in NCAA Tournament victory over Buffalo."