Darrion Williams and Texas Tech are in the Elite Eight after taking down Arkansas in overtime. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
(Ezra Shaw via Getty Images)
No. 3 Texas Tech is improbably a win away from its second Final Four ever thanks to Darrion Williams.
Williams tied the Red Raiders’ Sweet 16 game vs. Arkansas with nine seconds to go in the second half and then scored the game-winning basket with seven seconds to go in overtime for the 85-83 victory.
Tech closed the second half on a 16-3 run over the final 4:21 to send it to overtime. Arkansas had a second-half lead as big as 16 before the Red Raiders finally started hitting shots and whittling down the deficit over the final minutes.
Advertisement
Williams was 1-for-9 from the 3-point line before hitting his game-tying shot to force the first overtime of the 2025 NCAA men’s tournament.
Tech trailed for much of the second half because the team shot so poorly. The Red Raiders were 3-of-24 from the 3-point line at one point in the second half before closing regulation 4-of-7 from behind the arc. Texas Tech entered the game as one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country at 37% and shot just 8-of-32 against the Razorbacks.
Arkansas, meanwhile, shot much better than it typically does from the 3-point line. The Razorbacks shoot just 32% from the 3-point line and were 10-of-25 on Thursday night.
Advertisement
But that good shooting didn’t prevent the biggest collapse of the tournament so far. Arkansas appeared to have the game wrapped up multiple times in the second half. Knox hit a 3-pointer to extend Arkansas’ lead to six with 1:28 to go, but Tech quickly cut the lead back to three.
Texas Tech’s only Final Four appearance came in 2019 when the Red Raiders lost to Virginia in the national title game. Their Elite Eight appearance is just the third in school history as Tech also made the Elite Eight in 2018 before losing to Villanova.
On Saturday, the Red Raiders will take on No. 1 Florida in the West region finale. The Gators likely thought for much of the second half that they’d be seeing Arkansas again in a matchup that would have guaranteed the SEC at least one team in the Final Four.
Advertisement
Williams was one of three Tech players who scored at least 20 points. Big 12 player of the year JT Toppin also had 20 points and nine rebounds while guard Christian Anderson led Tech with 22 points.
The Red Raiders are also just one of two Big 12 teams remaining in the NCAA tournament along with No. 1 Houston after losses by BYU and Arizona on Thursday night. The No. 6 Cougars lost to No. 2 Alabama and No. 4 Arizona lost to No. 1 Duke in the East region.
Arkansas’ run ends
Arkansas has made it to the Sweet 16 in each of its last four NCAA tournament appearances. But this may be the most disappointing loss in that span even though the Razorbacks were a No. 10 seed. And it’s a bitter end to what had been a resurgence in February and March in John Calipari’s first season in Fayetteville.
Advertisement
Arkansas started SEC play 0-5 and was 1-6 before a win at Kentucky. The Razorbacks went 6-4 to end the regular season and be one of 14 SEC teams in the NCAA tournament before taking down No. 7 Kansas and No. 2 St. John’s to get to the Sweet 16.
For much of Thursday night, it looked like Calipari’s team would be a win away from his fourth Final Four as a coach. Instead, it was hard not to think about how Kentucky had flamed out in the NCAA tournament in his final three seasons at the school. The Wildcats didn’t advance past the first weekend and lost twice in the first round over the previous three seasons.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
CBF diz que imagens de suposto uniforme vermelho não são oficiais e que ainda definirá coleção para a Copa do Mundo
Embora não dê informações sobre a veracidade das notícias em relação a cor do futuro enxoval, a entidade disse que a nova coleção de uniformes para o Mundial do ano que vem "ainda será definida" em conjunto com a empresa fornecedora do material esportivo. Veja a nota oficial da CBF: A Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF) esclarece que as imagens divulgadas recentemente de supostos uniformes da Seleção Brasileira para a Copa do Mundo de 2026 não são oficiais. Nem a CBF e nem a Nike divulgaram formalmente detalhes sobre a nova linha da Seleção. A entidade reafirma o compromisso com seu estatuto e informa que a nova coleção de uniformes para o Mundial ainda será definida em conjunto com a Nike. Entenda o caso: Nos últimos dias, foi noticiado que a camisa número 2 da seleção brasileira para a Copa […]
Stephon Castle wins NBA Rookie of the Year, joins Wemby as Spurs go back-to-back
<!--> Stephon Castle made no secret about it: He wanted to be rookie of the year.And he got it done — by a wide margin.The San Antonio Spurs now have back-to-back winners of the award, with Victor Wembanyama last year and Castle this season. Castle was the fifth rookie in Spurs history to score more than 1,000 points.It was one-sided in the voting. Castle got 92 first-place votes, easily topping runner-up Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks and third-place finisher Jaylen Wells of the Memphis Grizzlies. Risacher got five first-place votes, Wells got the other three.ADVERTISEMENT -->"Coming in with all the confidence that I had in myself as a player, that was definitely a goal of mine from Day 1," Castle said on TNT, which broadcast the unveiling of the results. "I’m just happy I was able to execute it."Castle’s […]
Marcus Morris not impressed with Lakers coach JJ Redick’s performance: ‘I could be coaching some of these … teams’
(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)In the first-round playoff series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers, the rise of Anthony Edwards is sparking a bigger conversation — not just about his superstar talent but about Lakers coach JJ Redick’s readiness for the moment.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThroughout the series, Edwards has dominated, routinely getting one-on-one opportunities.According to guest Marcus Morris on the latest episode of "The Kevin O'Connor Show," that’s not a coincidence: The Lakers have a coaching issue.“There’s no way you’re allowing Anthony Edwards to not see a double,” Morris said of all of Edwards' one-on-one opportunities.By not mixing up schemes and letting Edwards attack freely, Redick has given Minnesota’s role players a pathway to success […]
Why Luka is right fit for the Lakers but the roster is not right for him | Speak
Why Luka is right fit for the Lakers but the roster is not right for him | Speak | FOX Sports <!--> --> Video Details Paul Pierce explains why Luka Doncic is the right fit for the Los Angeles Lakers but the roster and team is not the right fit for him. JUST IN・speak・0:51
Why Luka is right fit for the Lakers but the roster is not right for him | Speak
Why Luka is right fit for the Lakers but the roster is not right for him | Speak | FOX Sports <!--> --> Video Details Paul Pierce explains why Luka Doncic is the right fit for the Los Angeles Lakers but the roster and team is not the right fit for him. JUST IN・speak・0:51
Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy: ‘I know I’m ready to start’
<!--> After letting Sam Darnold walk — despite leading them to a 14-3 season and throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns — the Minnesota Vikings are all in on quarterback J.J. McCarthy.McCarthy didn't play in his rookie season due to a meniscus tear that he suffered in the preseason. But the young quarterback is up for the challenge of starting for a team with championship aspirations."I know I'm ready to start," McCarthy said on Tuesday, according to the Vikings' team website. "Because all of the work that I put in and just the confidence in my skills and abilities and being able to do my job and simplify things to the best of my ability every day. Just take it one day at a time, one play at a time and, you know, I have a tremendous coaching staff, […]
Related
CBF diz que imagens de suposto uniforme vermelho não são oficiais e que ainda definirá coleção para a Copa do Mundo
Embora não dê informações sobre a veracidade das notícias em relação a cor do futuro enxoval, a entidade disse que a nova coleção de uniformes para o Mundial do ano que vem "ainda será definida" em conjunto com a empresa fornecedora do material esportivo. Veja a nota oficial da CBF: A Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF) esclarece que as imagens divulgadas recentemente de supostos uniformes da Seleção Brasileira para a Copa do Mundo de 2026 não são oficiais. Nem a CBF e nem a Nike divulgaram formalmente detalhes sobre a nova linha da Seleção. A entidade reafirma o compromisso com seu estatuto e informa que a nova coleção de uniformes para o Mundial ainda será definida em conjunto com a Nike. Entenda o caso: Nos últimos dias, foi noticiado que a camisa número 2 da seleção brasileira para a Copa […]
Stephon Castle wins NBA Rookie of the Year, joins Wemby as Spurs go back-to-back
<!--> Stephon Castle made no secret about it: He wanted to be rookie of the year.And he got it done — by a wide margin.The San Antonio Spurs now have back-to-back winners of the award, with Victor Wembanyama last year and Castle this season. Castle was the fifth rookie in Spurs history to score more than 1,000 points.It was one-sided in the voting. Castle got 92 first-place votes, easily topping runner-up Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks and third-place finisher Jaylen Wells of the Memphis Grizzlies. Risacher got five first-place votes, Wells got the other three.ADVERTISEMENT -->"Coming in with all the confidence that I had in myself as a player, that was definitely a goal of mine from Day 1," Castle said on TNT, which broadcast the unveiling of the results. "I’m just happy I was able to execute it."Castle’s […]
Marcus Morris not impressed with Lakers coach JJ Redick’s performance: ‘I could be coaching some of these … teams’
(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)In the first-round playoff series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers, the rise of Anthony Edwards is sparking a bigger conversation — not just about his superstar talent but about Lakers coach JJ Redick’s readiness for the moment.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThroughout the series, Edwards has dominated, routinely getting one-on-one opportunities.According to guest Marcus Morris on the latest episode of "The Kevin O'Connor Show," that’s not a coincidence: The Lakers have a coaching issue.“There’s no way you’re allowing Anthony Edwards to not see a double,” Morris said of all of Edwards' one-on-one opportunities.By not mixing up schemes and letting Edwards attack freely, Redick has given Minnesota’s role players a pathway to success […]
Why Luka is right fit for the Lakers but the roster is not right for him | Speak
Why Luka is right fit for the Lakers but the roster is not right for him | Speak | FOX Sports <!--> --> Video Details Paul Pierce explains why Luka Doncic is the right fit for the Los Angeles Lakers but the roster and team is not the right fit for him. JUST IN・speak・0:51
Why Luka is right fit for the Lakers but the roster is not right for him | Speak
Why Luka is right fit for the Lakers but the roster is not right for him | Speak | FOX Sports <!--> --> Video Details Paul Pierce explains why Luka Doncic is the right fit for the Los Angeles Lakers but the roster and team is not the right fit for him. JUST IN・speak・0:51
Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy: ‘I know I’m ready to start’
<!--> After letting Sam Darnold walk — despite leading them to a 14-3 season and throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns — the Minnesota Vikings are all in on quarterback J.J. McCarthy.McCarthy didn't play in his rookie season due to a meniscus tear that he suffered in the preseason. But the young quarterback is up for the challenge of starting for a team with championship aspirations."I know I'm ready to start," McCarthy said on Tuesday, according to the Vikings' team website. "Because all of the work that I put in and just the confidence in my skills and abilities and being able to do my job and simplify things to the best of my ability every day. Just take it one day at a time, one play at a time and, you know, I have a tremendous coaching staff, […]
Be the first to leave a comment