Texas Tech stormed into the Elite Eight Thursday night thanks to a devastating defensive attack.
The Red Raiders limited Michigan to 32.7 percent shooting as they steamrolled to a convincing 63-44 triumph at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Big 12 Player of the Year Jarrett Culver scored a game-high 22 points to pace a balanced Texas Tech attack. Davide Morietti chipped in with 15 points and Matt Mooney added 10.
The victory boosts the Red Raiders (29-6) into the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season. They will hook up with No. 1 seed Gonzaga Sunday afternoon in the finals of the West Region.
A victory on Sunday would Red Raiders would advance to the Final Four for the first time in the men’s basketball program history.
The Red Raiders’ gritty defense blew the game open early in the second half when they limited the Wolverines without a field for a period of more than 7 minutes.
The Wolverines (30-7) missed their first 18 3-point shots as they were plagued by frigid outside shooting throughout the game. They did not score a basket outside the paint in the first 30 minutes of the game.
Tech lost to eventual national champion Villanova in the finals of the East Regional in Boston last season.
The Wolverines were limited to 16 points in the first half, their lowest scoring offensive performance of the season.
