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No. 9 Arizona downs Texas Tech

Dec 2, 2012 - 11:54 AM Lubbock, TX (Sports Network) - Nick Johnson scored 18 points with five rebounds as the No. 9 Arizona Wildcats downed Texas Tech, 85-57, in a non- conference clash.

Mark Lyons and Solomon Hill added 14 points each for the Wildcats (5-0), who received 11 points from Grant Jerrett in the convincing road decision.

Jaye Crockett tallied 12 points and six boards for the Red Raiders (4-1), who had scored 80-or-more points in their first four games this season.

"We played a really, really good team tonight," Texas Tech coach Chris Walker said. "The one thing I'm going to do is take it as an opportunity. We have some young guys. We have some inexperienced guys, and that was a good game for them to get a taste of what high-level, Division I basketball is all about.

Arizona broke open a close game with a 19-7 run through the middle portion of the first half.

Kaleb Tarczewski's tip-in gave the Wildcats a 13-11 edge and Hill followed with a triple for a five-point margin. Lyons added two more triples and Johnson connected from long distance, then Hill capped the burst with a shot from beyond the arc to make it 30-18 with 8:25 left.

Dusty Hannahs' trey pulled Texas Tech within 32-25, but the visitors quickly restored a double-digit edge that eventually ballooned to 18 points, 43-25, on a Tarczewski slam.

Arizona led 45-28 at the break, then extended its advantage to 53-28 just over four minutes into the second half after a triple from Johnson.

Daylen Robinson's trey capped a brief surge and got Texas Tech within 55-42, but the Wildcats wrapped up the game for good on a 13-2 run thereafter. Johnson tallied six points during the surge, and when Jarrett launched one from long range to cap the burst with 8:47 to play, it was 68-44 for the visitors, who cruised from there.

"Well, we're very excited to leave Lubbock with a win," Arizona coach Sean Miller said. "I thought that the crowd here was outstanding. I know it could have been maybe filled a little bit more, but the fans that were here, you could really feel it."

Game Notes

Despite the loss, Texas Tech still leads the all-time series 28-23, but Arizona has won the last four meetings dating back to December of 1983 ... The Wildcats owned a 41-26 advantage on the glass, and held the Red Raiders to 34.9 percent shooting.