The first 34 minutes of No. 3 Texas Tech’s Sweet 16 matchup were far from ideal. However, the Red Raiders didn’t give up, rallying late to force overtime against a determined No. 10 Arkansas team. They ultimately triumphed 85-83, securing a spot in the Elite Eight.
Trailing by 16 points with just 10 minutes left in the second half, Texas Tech pulled off the second-largest comeback in Sweet 16 history.
“What an unbelievable college basketball game,” said Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland.
Heading into the game, Arkansas ranked 265th out of 355 Division I teams in 3-point shooting percentage (32.4%) and averaged 6.9 made 3-pointers per game.
However, Arkansas surpassed that in the first half, making seven out of 14 3-point attempts (50%). This was a surprising development for Texas Tech, considering the Razorbacks had mostly relied on scoring in the paint during the opening weekend. In their upset win over St. John’s on Saturday, Arkansas had only made 2 of 19 from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, the Red Raiders, known for their strong 3-point shooting, struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 3 of 18 attempts (18.8%) in the first half. Arkansas, on the other hand, went on a 15-2 run to take an early lead and stretched it to a 13-point advantage at one point.
The Razorbacks’ shooting from deep slowed in the second half, but they returned to their strength: dominating inside the arc. Arkansas found success near the rim while Texas Tech continued to have difficulty with their 3-point shooting. The Razorbacks’ lead grew to as much as 16 points in the second half.
With six minutes remaining, Texas Tech still trailed by 13 and appeared to be out of contention. But then, the Red Raiders found their rhythm, launching a 16-3 run to tie the game, culminating in a clutch 3-pointer by Darrion Williams with nine seconds left, forcing overtime.
In the extra period, Texas Tech’s shooting remained hot, and Williams—playing near his hometown of Sacramento—continued his clutch performance, hitting the go-ahead shot with seven seconds to play.
“Give Texas Tech credit. They made plays down the stretch that gave them a chance and they won the game,” said Arkansas head coach John Calipari.
Thursday’s win also ended an incredible streak for Calipari. Prior to this game, he had been 35-0 in the NCAA Tournament when leading by at least six points at halftime. The Red Raiders, trailing by seven at the break, became the first team to break that record.
“In the huddle, Coach kept saying we’re gonna find a way to win this no matter how much we were down,” said Texas Tech freshman guard Christian Anderson, who scored a team-high 22 points. “As a team, we kind of had that look like we’re not losing this game no matter what.”
With the victory, Texas Tech advances to its first Elite Eight since 2019, the same year the team made its historic run to the Final Four. The Red Raiders will face No. 1 seed Florida on Saturday.
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