Red Raider Review

No. 16 Texas Tech Wrecks Colorado 78-44 extending 12-1 record at home

Texas Tech Red Raiders (18-6 8-3) improved 12-1 at home after dominating the visiting Colorado Buffaloes (14-11 4-8) 78-44 Wednesday night at United Supermarkets Arena. 
Josh Ortega|
Senior guard Donovan Atwell (12) celebrates 20 point performance in 78-44 win over Colorado Wednesday night at United Super Markets Arena .
Senior guard Donovan Atwell (12) celebrates 20 point performance in 78-44 win over Colorado Wednesday night at United Super Markets Arena . | Texas Tech Basketball on X

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Texas Tech Red Raiders

LUBBOCK, Texas — The No.16 Texas Tech Red Raiders (18-6, 8-3) improve to 12-1 at home after dominating the visiting Colorado Buffaloes (14-11, 4-8) 78-44 Wednesday night at United Supermarkets Arena. On a night where senior guard Donovan Atwell scored 20 points on 60% shooting, in which the Red Raider offense grabbed 21 points from offensive rebounds alone.

“It's been pretty consistent Donvoan Atwell shows up every night he’s been phenomenal,” said Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland after the win.“His maturity, his competitiveness when we needed a lift I thought he was in the middle of every play I mean every rebound, every big three he just has a way right now of finding ways to win the game and help us stay in the fight.” 

Tech broke out to an 8-point lead throughout the opening minutes of the first half largely thanks to sophomore guard Christian Anderson, who had 10 first-half points on 4-6 shooting. As the Tech lead began to balloon, the Buffs surged back, due to freshman guard Ian Inman.

The Houston native was perfect from the field, going 4-4 from beyond the arc to nab 12 first-half points as the lone Buff with any double-digit points in the first half. Inman did not play in Tech's previous win over Colorado on January 10th.

However, Colorado was not the only team with a sharpshooter from deep in the opening half. Atwell also nabbed 12 opening period points, going 4-7 all from 3-point range to help Tech take a 17-point lead into the halftime break.

The Red Raiders would continue to keep their foot on the gas whilst keeping the Buffs off the glass thanks to junior guard JT Toppin, who was dominant in the second half, adding to his 13 first-half rebounds, to lock in his 46th career double-double with 18 rebounds and 16 points from the field on 6-11 shooting. Toppin continues to be the Big 12’s leading rebounder with 10.5 rebounds per game this season.

"I thought JT had two tremendous practices since we have been back from West Virginia," said McCasland when talking about Toppin's extreme effort on the floor after a low scoring first half. "I thought his competitiveness was tremendous coming up with 18 rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. It just felt like his competitiveness was right in a night that maybe the ball didn't go in as easy for him, man he is finding ways to win"

Tech would continue to push with four of its five starters all finishing with double-digit points. As the Red Raiders hold Colorado to their lowest amount of points scored since 2022, holding onto a 20-point lead through the triple zeros on the clock. The Raiders will remain in fifth place, tied with NO. 5 Iowa State, two games behind first place in the  Big 12.

Tonight's matchup in Lubbock was starkly different from the two teams' previous matchup back in Boulder. The Buffs were a muffed three away from beating the Red Raiders at the start of the new year.

Tonight, Colorado's only lead came after junior guard Barrington Hargress sank his first 18-foot jumper to open the game's scoring. From opening up the college basketball season 8-0 The Buffs have had eight of their last 10 end in the loss column.  

The Red Raiders now set their sights on the Grand Canyon State. As Tech will open up a two-game road trip at No. 1 Arizona Friday night before staying to play Arizona State Tuesday night. The (23-1) Wildcats currently sit atop the Big 12 and College Basketball rankings with the program's lone loss this season coming at NO. 9 Kansas 82-78 Monday night.

Arizona leads the Big 12 across four different areas, including points, field goal percentage, rebounds, and points differential. The Wildcats are led offensively by two electric freshman guards Brayden Burries and Koa Peat.

Burries is one of the top 20 highest scorers in the country, averaging 15.7  points per game, and has been in double figures in all but two games since conference play started.

The California native was a five-star prospect and the 9th best player in the country for the class of 2025 according to 247 Sports. Just behind him is Peat, who is the 22nd highest scorer in the country, averaging 14.3 points per game, who was another five-star prospect in addition to being the best overall prospect out of the state of Arizona in the 2025 class, according to 247 Sports.

Combined with the Wildcats stifling rim defense thanks to junior center Motiejus Krivas, who became the first Arizona player to have 10 rebounds & 5 blocks vs. a top-10 opponent this week vs Kansas. The College Basketball world will have an exhilarating matchup to look forward to towards the end of the week.  

Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. CT on ESPN Saturday night.

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Josh Ortega
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