Jarrett Culver, No. 3 Texas Tech Crush No. 6 Buffalo; Advance to Sweet 16

The Texas Tech Red Raiders are back in the Sweet 16 after a 78-58 win over the Buffalo Bulls in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on Sunday.

With the exception of a hiccup against West Virginia in the Big 12 tournament, Texas Tech has been among the hottest teams in the country since February. Head coach Chris Beard's squad has won 11 of its last 12 games.

Jarrett Culver led Texas Tech's balanced offensive attack with 16 points and 10 rebounds, though he shot just 6-of-17 from the field. Norense Odiase had his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 15 rebounds.

Texas Tech's defense did an excellent job shutting down a Buffalo squad that entered the day averaging 85.1 points per game.

The Bulls were held to 36.5 percent shooting overall, including 9-of-27 from three-point range. They shot 51.7 percent against Arizona State and had 15 assists on 31 field goals.

Despite those struggles and a 33-25 deficit at halftime, there was reason for Buffalo to be optimistic coming out for the second half:

Unfortunately, the Bulls couldn't get back on track after the intermission. They went 10 minutes of game time minutes without a field goal from Davonta Jordan's three with 3:26 left in the first half until Jeremy Harris' jumper with 12:27 remaining in the second half.

Going by real time, it was nearly one full hour between those two baskets for Buffalo:

Texas Tech increased its lead to 23 prior to Harris' basket by going on a 29-9 run.

It's a good thing Beard had his defense on point, because the Red Raiders weren't exactly lighting up the scoreboard early. The game started out looking like a potential blowout in their favor by taking a 13-point lead in the first nine minutes.

After the Bulls made a run, eventually taking a 25-24 lead with 3:26 remaining in the first half, Tariq Owens halted their momentum on Texas Tech's next possession:

Tariq Owens with the And-1

Texas Tech played this game perfectly to its strengths. Its ability to defend the lane and forcing bad shots away from the basket threw Buffalo's fast-paced offense off its game:

Looking ahead to the Sweet 16, Texas Tech is going against a Michigan squad that plays a similar style of basketball. Both teams are defensive stalwarts that make life miserable for the opposition.

The Wolverines (58.6) and Red Raiders (59.3) rank second and fourth in points allowed per game, respectively. They rank first and second in defensive efficiency, with the Red Raiders having a slight edge, per Sports Reference.

Texas Tech's success all season has been predicated on forcing teams to play its style of basketball. Few teams have been able to figure it out too, leaving the program one win away from its second straight trip to the Elite Eight.

What's Next?

Texas Tech will take on the Michigan Wolverines in the Sweet 16 on Thursday.