LUBBOCK, Texas — There was no stirring comeback this time.
And the end result was the same as it has been in each of Colorado’s most recent road outings — discouraging, embarrassing and downright ugly.
No. 16 Texas Tech battered the Buffaloes into submission Wednesday, topping CU 78-44 at United Supermarkets Arena. It was the Buffs’ 12th consecutive loss against a team ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, and their 24th consecutive loss against an AP Top 25 foe in a true road game.
Texas Tech (18-6, 8-3 Big 12) pushed its lead to 16 points in the first half when the Buffs received a spark from freshman wing Ian Inman, who came off the bench to knock down four consecutive 3-pointers. The last of those 3-pointers cut the Red Raiders’ lead to eight points with 3 minutes, 41 seconds remaining in the first half, and the Buffs were in position to get a defensive stop when LeJuan Watts launched an awkward 3-pointer at the shot clock buzzer.
Watts, though, tracked down his own offensive rebound, leading to a 3-pointer from Tech’s Jaylen Petty on the extra possession. That shot started a 12-3 half-closing run for the Red Raiders, who owned a 39-22 lead at the break.
Texas Tech nearly squandered a 24-point lead in Boulder last month, with a Buffs rally falling short in a two-point loss, but this time the Red Raiders didn’t let CU back in the game. Tech opened the second half with an 11-1 run, holding the Buffs without a field goal for the first 4 minutes, 54 seconds after halftime.
Texas Tech dominated the glass, posting a 47-30 rebounding advantage while turning 17 offensive rebounds into a 21-0 edge in second-chance points.
Texas Tech forward JT Toppin posted is Big 12-leading 15th double-double, finishing with 16 points and 18 rebounds. Inman finished 4-for-5 on 3-pointers with a season-high 12 points, but the rest of the Buffs finished just 2-for-20 from long range. CU shot a season-low .291 overall.
CU (14-11, 4-8 Big 12) faces another tough road challenge Saturday at No. 22 BYU (2 p.m. MT, Fox Sports 1).
Texas Tech 78, Colorado 44
COLORADO (14-11, 4-8 Big 12)
Dak 0-6 0-0 0, Rancik 1-8 0-0 3, Hargress 3-9 2-2 9, Johnson 5-9 3-5 13, Sanders 0-3 1-3 1, Inman 4-7 0-0 12, Ifaola 1-1 0-0 2, Holland 2-6 0-0 4, Michaeli 0-5 0-0 0, Malone 0-1 0-0 0, Kossaras 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-55 6-10 44.
TEXAS TECH (18-6, 8-3)
Toppin 6-11 3-3 16, Watts 2-6 1-3 5, Anderson 5-10 1-2 14, Atwell 6-10 2-2 20, Petty 5-12 0-0 12, Bamgboye 2-3 3-4 7, Bryan 1-5 0-0 2, Moseley 0-1 0-0 0, Groves 0-0 0-0 0, Henderson 0-1 0-0 0, Horner 1-2 0-0 2, Francis 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 28-62 10-14 78.
Halftime: Texas Tech 39-22. 3-Point Goals: Colorado 6-25 (Inman 4-5, Hargress 1-5, Rancik 1-6, Dak 0-1, Holland 0-1, Malone 0-1, Michaeli 0-1, Sanders 0-2, Johnson 0-3), Texas Tech 12-30 (Atwell 6-10, Anderson 3-6, Petty 2-8, Toppin 1-2, Francis 0-1, Watts 0-1, Bryan 0-2). Fouled Out: Holland. Rebounds: Colorado 30 (Ifaola 6), Texas Tech 47 (Toppin 18). Assists: Colorado 5 (Hargress 3), Texas Tech 16 (Anderson 7). Total Fouls: Colorado 13, Texas Tech 12.