In an incredible comeback, Texas Tech fought back from being down 16 points to beat Arkansas 85-83 in overtime Thursday night at Chase Center. The amazing comeback tied the biggest ever seen in Sweet 16 history.
With just 7.3 seconds left in overtime, Darrion Williams drove through defenders for the game-winning shot. Earlier, his crucial three-pointer as regulation ended had kept Tech in the game. "The heart of the team is Darrion Williams, and he's just a resilient guy," said coach Grant McCasland to ESPN.
Texas Tech only led for 3 minutes and 20 seconds of the entire game. Arkansas dominated the rest. During breaks, McCasland stayed positive: "In the huddle, Coach kept saying, 'We're going to find a way to win this,'" guard Christian Anderson remembered.
Anderson led the Red Raiders with 22 points. Williams and JT Toppin each added 20. For Arkansas, Johnell Davis scored 30 while Karter Knox put up 20.
"We're all disappointed here," Arkansas coach John Calipari said after the game. "But I told them, there's nothing them individually or my team could do to disappoint me because of what they've done this year. I'm so proud of them."
The win sends the Red Raiders to their third Elite Eight in seven years. They'll face top-seeded Florida in Saturday's West Region final.
The game brought back memories for both teams - these old Southwest Conference rivals had played each other 80 times before.
No. 10 seed Arkansas came into the game riding high after upsetting second-seeded St. John's. The loss ended Calipari's shot at reaching the Elite Eight with a fourth different program in his first season coaching Arkansas.
Williams came up big when it counted. His season numbers of 11.4 points and 7.5 rebounds don't show how clutch he was tonight. Toppin kept up his strong tournament play, adding another double-double.
San Francisco's Chase Center hosted Sweet 16 games for the first time. It was the first time either team had played in the arena.
