No. 14 Texas Tech Faces Road Matchup with Colorado

LUBBOCK, TX — No. 14 Texas Tech returns to Boulder for the first time in 15 years Saturday, visiting Colorado in a key early Big 12 matchup at the CU Events Center. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

Game details

• Matchup: No. 14 Texas Tech (11-4, 1-1) at Colorado (12-3, 2-0)

• Location: CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.

• Tipoff: 6 p.m. Saturday

• TV: CBS Sports Network (Chris Lewis, Chris Walker, Brandon Baylor)

• Radio: Texas Tech Sports Network (Geoff Haxton, Chris Level)

Texas Tech returns home next week to host Utah on Wednesday and No. 9 BYU on Saturday at United Supermarkets Arena.

The Red Raiders (11-4, 1-1 Big 12) saw their four-game winning streak end Tuesday in a 69-65 loss at No. 7 Houston, while the Buffaloes (12-3, 2-0) stayed perfect in conference play with an 85-73 win over Utah. Colorado is 9-1 at home this season.

Texas Tech enters its third straight ranked matchup as one of the nation’s most prolific perimeter teams, leading the Big 12 with 10.9 made 3-pointers per game and ranking second in the league in 3-point shooting percentage (.377). The Red Raiders are 0-2 in true road contests this season.

Tech is averaging 83.7 points per game and allowing 73.3. The program has appeared in 18 consecutive Associated Press Top 25 polls, the longest streak in school history. The Red Raiders also sit at No. 14 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll and No. 20 in both the NCAA NET and KenPom rankings.

JT Toppin and Christian Anderson continue to fuel Tech’s offensive production. Toppin is averaging 20.5 points and a Big 12-best 10.9 rebounds per game and is coming off his fourth straight double-double—18 points and 12 rebounds—against Houston. Anderson leads the conference with 7.5 assists per game and adds 19.6 points per game.

Freshman guard Jaylen Petty matched his career-high with 20 points on 5-of-9 shooting from deep Tuesday. Donovan Atwell added 13 points and three 3-pointers.

Four Red Raiders average double figures: Toppin (20.5), Anderson (19.6), LeJuan Watts (13.4) and Atwell (11.4). Tech has made 164 threes this season, shooting 37.7 percent from outside.

Through two Big 12 games, Toppin is averaging 20.5 points and 12.5 rebounds, while Petty has hit 9-of-17 (52.9%) from 3-point range. Anderson is averaging 10 assists in conference play.

Colorado opened its Big 12 schedule with wins over Arizona State (95-89) and Utah (85-73). The Buffaloes lead the conference in free-throw percentage (77.7) and rank third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.58).

All five starters average double figures: Isaiah Johnson (15.6), Sebastian Rancik (13.9), Barrington Hargress (13.3), Bangot Dak (11.8) and Alon Michaeli (10.0). Rancik scored 19 points Wednesday, going 9-for-9 at the line, while Dak logged his fourth double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Colorado averages 86.5 points per game while allowing 77.9.

Series history

Colorado owns an 18-14 advantage in the series, which began in 1959. Texas Tech won last season’s meeting 91-75 in Lubbock behind 30 points and 14 rebounds from Toppin. The Red Raiders are 3-10 all-time in Boulder, most recently falling 101-90 on March 6, 2010.

Tech has won seven of the last 10 matchups.