The Colorado Buffaloes just knocked off Arizona State 78-70, and now they've got the perfect opportunity to show they've finally figured out the rebounding game.Â
Colorado won the rebounding battle by 10, led by Sebastian Rancik's season-high 11 boards after assistant coach Danny Lanning's challenge.
3 keys to victory for Colorado against Texas Tech
Get off to a better start
When these teams last met on Jan. 10, the Buffaloes trailed by 24 points in the second half before rallying to close the gap.Â
The Red Raiders to a commanding 43-27 into halftime, but Colorado rallied to lose by just two points after Barrington Hargress's three-pointer missed at the buzzer.
With only 39.7% shooting from the field, the game plan is pretty clear for the Buffs. They must value every possession and be more selective with their shots.
A chance to show they’re more connected on the glass
Colorado has struggled on the boards in conference play, exemplified by their loss on Jan. 10 to Texas Tech in Boulder.
The Red Raiders dominated the glass with 44 total rebounds, led by JT Toppin and LeJuan Watts who combined for 24. Not to be overlooked, Jaylen Petty contributed nine rebounds of his own.
Bangot Dak and Sebastian Rancik combined for 21 of Colorado's 33 rebounds. Dak led with 13, while Rancik added eight.
Playing a top 25 team on their home court is tough. Colorado must be active on the boards to have any chance in this game.
End the Top 25 road losing streak
Colorado's road struggles against ranked opponents continue. They haven't won a true road game against an AP Top 25 team in nearly 13 years. The Jan. 29 loss to Iowa State marked their 23rd consecutive defeat in such matchups.
Colorado's 2013 defensive victory over No. 19 Oregon came down to an 8–0 closing run. Andre Roberson sealed the win with a putback basket at 29 seconds remaining.
The Buffs clamped down defensively, holding Oregon to a mere 19 points in the second half. The win goes down as CU's lowest-scoring victory since the shot-clock era began.
Colorado must play a complete game to win in Lubbock on Wednesday night.