TULSA — After losing to Villanova in the East Regional final last year, Texas Tech coach Chris Beard extolled the virtues of the Wildcats’ toughness. Beard and the Red Raiders left Boston with a 12-point loss to the eventual national champion, but also gained quite a bit in defeat.
First and foremost, Tech picked up a little toughness of its own, which was on display throughout Sunday night’s 78-58 second-round NCAA Tournament victory over 6-seed Buffalo. In losing to ‘Nova last year, Tech was outrebounded 51-33.
In two games inside Tulsa’s BOK Center, 3-seed Texas Tech (28-6) showed its focus and its newfound toughness with 15- and 20-point victories. Now, it’s back to the Sweet Sixteen for the second year in a row (a program first), where Michigan awaits in Anaheim, Calif.
To read the rest of Sporting News’ NCAA Tournament coverage from Tulsa, click here:
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