SAN FRANCISCO — Darrion Williams struggled to find his mark for much of the game, but delivered when it counted, propelling Texas Tech into an unexpected berth in the Elite Eight.
Williams nailed the winning basket with just 7.3 seconds left in overtime after tying the match with a crucial 3-pointer as regulation drew to a close. This performance led Texas Tech to an 85-83 triumph over Arkansas on Thursday night.
“He embodies the heart of our team,” remarked coach Grant McCasland about Williams. “He’s incredibly resilient. I simply trust him. In one-game scenarios, he consistently finds a way to win. Whatever it takes.”
The thrilling overtime contest of March Madness was thanks to a determined rally by the third-seeded Red Raiders (28-8), who overcame a 13-point deficit with under 5 minutes left against coach John Calipari’s 10th-seeded Razorbacks (22-14).
Advancing to face the top-seeded Florida in the West Region final on Saturday, Texas Tech now stands a chance to reach its second Final Four, having last made it to the championship match against Virginia in 2019.
Throughout most of the game, that prospect looked unlikely as Arkansas leapt to a commanding double-digit advantage early, stretching as high as 16 points during the second half.
“In our huddle, Coach reinforced that we’d find a way to win, no matter how far behind we were,” said guard Christian Anderson. “We knew we weren’t going to lose. We just had to make it happen. And eventually, we did.”
Williams played a key role in sparking the Red Raiders’ resurgence despite initially struggling, as he missed 13 of his first 15 attempts amid a supportive crowd filled with friends and family from Sacramento.
Texas Tech ended regulation on a 16-3 run, buoyed by Anderson’s trio of 3-pointers and Williams’ key baskets. The most crucial came when he made a 3 with 9.7 seconds remaining, just after Jonas Aidoo missed a free throw.
Despite an earlier struggle, having missed eight of his first nine 3-point shots, Williams maintained belief, saying, “The shots weren’t dropping, but I was open. They were bound to fall.”
JT Toppin opened the overtime by scoring for Texas Tech, marking their first lead since the outset, igniting a back-and-forth battle. D.J. Wagner re-tied it for Arkansas with 34 seconds on the clock.
Williams then scored inside, affirming the lead for Texas Tech, and Wagner’s last effort clipped the rim, launching the Red Raiders into a joyous midcourt celebration, as Williams acknowledged the crowd following this historic comeback.
For Calipari, it marked a bittersweet ending, as Arkansas’s campaign concluded just short of clinching what would have been his fourth team to reach the Elite Eight.
“We’re all saddened by this,” Calipari noted. “However, I reminded my team that they’ve done nothing but make me proud this year, despite this outcome.”
Anderson emerged as Texas Tech’s top scorer with 22 points, closely followed by Toppin and Williams, each contributing 20.
Johnell Davis delivered 30 points for the Razorbacks, with Karter Knox adding 20.
Challenged from the start, the Red Raiders played without star shooter Chance McMillian for a fourth game due to an oblique strain. McMillian, who anticipated playing in front of his San Francisco home crowd, was sidelined once more prior to the tipoff.
Meanwhile, Arkansas welcomed the return of forward Adou Thiero for five minutes, following a knee injury sustained in February.