Darrion Williams struggled to find his shot for most of the game, but when it mattered most, he stepped up—leading Texas Tech to an incredible comeback and a spot in the Elite Eight.
Williams hit a game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds of regulation and then scored the go-ahead basket with 7.3 seconds left in overtime, securing an 85-83 victory over Arkansas on Thursday night.
A Gritty Performance
“The heart of the team is Darrion Williams, and he’s just a resilient guy,” head coach Grant McCasland said. “I trust him because I know he’ll do whatever it takes to win.”
The third-seeded Red Raiders (28-8) pulled off a stunning rally, overcoming a 13-point deficit in the final five minutes to defeat the 10th-seeded Razorbacks (22-14). Their victory sets up a West Region final matchup against top-seeded Florida on Saturday, with a chance to reach the Final Four for the second time in school history.
For most of the game, Arkansas was in control. The Razorbacks built a double-digit lead early and stretched it to 16 points in the second half, making Texas Tech’s comeback the third-largest in Sweet 16 history. According to ESPN Research, Arkansas led for an astounding 38 minutes and 53 seconds, while Texas Tech was ahead for just 3 minutes and 20 seconds.
Never Giving Up
“In the huddle, Coach kept saying, ‘We’re going to find a way to win this,’” said guard Christian Anderson. “Even when we were down 16 with 10 minutes left, we never believed we’d lose. We knew we had to get stops, rebounds, steals—whatever it took. And in the end, we did.”
Williams, who had missed 13 of his first 15 shots, found his rhythm when it counted most. Texas Tech closed regulation with a 16-3 run, fueled by three clutch three-pointers from Anderson and three key baskets from Williams. His biggest shot came with 9.7 seconds left—a deep three-pointer that tied the game after Arkansas’ Jonas Aidoo missed a free throw.
Though Williams had struggled from beyond the arc all night, he never lost confidence. “Obviously, they weren’t falling, but I was taking open shots,” he said. “Eventually, they had to go in.”
Sealing the Victory
Texas Tech grabbed its first lead since the opening minutes when JT Toppin scored to start overtime. The teams traded baskets until Arkansas’ D.J. Wagner tied the game with 34 seconds left.
Then, Williams took over again. He powered inside for the go-ahead bucket, and Wagner’s final shot hit the front of the rim, sending Texas Tech into celebration. Williams pointed to the crowd, soaking in the moment.
“If we had just given up and let them beat us by 30, our season would be over,” Williams said. “None of us wanted that.”
Meanwhile, Arkansas coach John Calipari could only watch in frustration as his first season with the Razorbacks ended in heartbreak. The 16-point collapse was the largest blown lead in the NCAA Tournament by a Calipari-coached team, denying him the chance to become the first coach to take four different programs to the Elite Eight.
“We’re all disappointed,” Calipari said. “But I told them, nothing they did could make me anything less than proud. They gave everything this season.”
Stat Leaders
Anderson led Texas Tech with 22 points, while Toppin and Williams added 20 each. Arkansas’ Johnell Davis finished with a game-high 30 points, and Karter Knox contributed 20 in the loss.
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