Texas Tech and Arkansas’ Candy 16 matchup gave us the primary extra time recreation of the 2025 NCAA event after a historic comeback for the Pink Raiders on Thursday night time.
Darrion Williams transformed a tricky end on the rim with seven seconds left because the No. 3 seed Texas Tech Pink Raiders shocked the Arkansas Razorbacks 85-83 in an extra time thriller on the Chase Middle.
With the win, Texas Tech etched itself into the NCAA event historical past books, as its 16-point comeback within the second half was the second-largest second-half comeback in Candy 16 historical past.
The Pink Raiders appeared lifeless within the water with 10 minutes left within the recreation, because the Razorbacks jumped out to a 61-45 lead. However, every little thing modified from there as Texas Tech pulled off the miraculous comeback to succeed in extra time, in the end sealing the deal within the closing seconds with Williams’s game-winner.
Williams and freshman Christian Anderson had been the heroes on Thursday, combining to attain 22 of Texas Tech’s 27 factors over the ultimate 9:28 as they willed the Pink Raiders again, extending their season 5 additional minutes with the momentum on their facet.
It was a a lot totally different second half for Williams, who began off the sport capturing 1-for-11 earlier than settling down with 15 second-half factors to deliver Texas Tech again.
“I simply wished to offer it my all as a result of I felt like I wasn’t doing that within the first half offensively or defensively,” Williams acknowledged after the sport. “So as soon as I checked again in at halfway by means of the second half, I don’t know what time it was. I simply advised coach, I’m gonna play my hardest and no matter occurs, occurs. And we simply advised one another, let’s simply exit swinging.”
As for Anderson, the freshman had a day for the report books, getting his profession excessive within the largest recreation of his life, with Texas Tech wanting his manner for essential buckets down the stretch.
“It simply exhibits the belief the workforce and the coaches have in me,” Anderson mentioned. “Once I was coming to Texas Tech, I actually may sense the belief they’d in me in the beginning of the season. And, all the way in which to date, it simply exhibits, permitting me to take these massive pictures, not even making them, however permitting me to take them and getting performs and the final shot I made, simply the boldness they’ve in me to even take that shot. It simply exhibits how a lot they consider in me.”
In extra time, Williams and star ahead J.T. Toppin had been the leaders, helping on or scoring all of Texas Tech’s 13 factors, whereas capturing 4-for-5 within the interval. Using their dimension benefit, the frontcourt duo pounded the paint to seek out high quality pictures, placing the stress on Arkansas on each offensive possession.
The important thing turning level, nevertheless, got here from a participant who had seen his worst capturing night time of the season: Elijah Hawkins. Taking part in all 45 minutes in Thursday’s thriller, Hawkins missed his first 9 pictures of the sport, together with six from past the arc.
However, with Texas Tech down 76-74, Hawkins hit a vital catch-and-shoot three. The Pink Raiders had tied the sport on a few events, however securing the lead was large within the back-and-forth motion as Toppin and Williams had been in a position to get the job finished after that.
“He’s a gamer man, and that’s the heartbeat of our workforce,” Williams mentioned about Hawkins. “He makes every little thing rock. Clearly he’s a help chief for a motive and he simply performs as onerous as it doesn’t matter what. I don’t suppose he got here out the sport tonight. So he’s only a gamer man. He wants his respect.”
“All yr, we talked about being resilient and simply by no means giving up,” Hawkins mentioned after the sport. “And my teammates received confidence in me and I received confidence in them and once I get the open shot or anyone get the open shot, we received to take it with confidence. That’s what I did. I wasn’t in a position to get the rest to fall at present, however you recognize, massive shot, needed to lock in and shot it of confidence. My teammates consider in me.”
The win wasn’t a reasonably win by any means. The Pink Raiders shot underneath 40 % from the sphere. Underneath 25 % from three. They led for less than 3:20 out of the 45 minutes on Thursday. However, on the finish of the day, it was their title forward on the scoreboard when the clock ticked zero.
It’s been a yr of varied outcomes for Texas Tech, as they’ve misplaced shut video games, come again from behind earlier than and been in battles all season lengthy.
“It simply exhibits our toughness,” Anderson mentioned after the sport. “Our motto is: hardest workforce wins. And I feel that basically confirmed tonight. We’ve had a tough couple video games capturing and it confirmed tonight at first of the sport and in the direction of the top, I feel we sort of discovered that click on. And as a workforce, we had been simply working collectively, each offensive and defensively to return again. And I feel that’s what we did.”
“I feel [this win] simply exhibits our resilience, man,” Darrion Williams added. “We’ve been in each sort of recreation this yr. Clearly down 16, we’ve been up, blew a lead and needed to come again and win once more. So I feel we’ve been in each sort of recreation. Nothing actually phases us. We’re simply going to battle to the top.”
Now, they flip their focus to the No. 1 seed Florida Gators, who’ve been nearly as good as any workforce within the nation over the past month of the season. The Pink Raiders will definitely have their arms full with one of many deepest groups within the nation, as 5 gamers simply noticed over 36 minutes of motion in Thursday’s win.
Seeking to make an upset towards Florida, the Pink Raiders will hope to shoot a lot nearer to their season common of 37.9 % past the arc compared to their putrid 25 % from distance on Thursday.
However, the formulation for victory will stay the identical: win the rebounding battle, play stellar protection to gradual issues down and depend on the highest gamers to create sufficient offense.
Well being will likely be a key to observe on each side, as Florida star ahead Alex Condon handled a lower-body harm within the Gators’ 87-71 win over Maryland, whereas Texas Tech hopes to get again guard Likelihood McMillan, who hasn’t performed because the Massive 12 Event quarterfinals.
For now, nevertheless, the Pink Raiders will relish their victory on Thursday, as they discovered a technique to will themselves again, regardless of seeming getting ready to defeat by means of the primary half-hour.