SAN FRANCISCO — Darrion Williams scored the tiebreaking basket with 7.3 seconds left in overtime after tying the game with a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation to lead Texas Tech to an 85-83 win over Arkansas on Thursday night and a spot in the Elite Eight.
The first overtime game of March Madness came thanks to a furious comeback by the third-seeded Red Raiders (28-8) from 16 points down midway through the second half against coach John Calipari’s 10th-seeded Razorbacks (22-14).
Texas Tech advanced to play top-seeded Florida in the West Region final on Saturday with a chance at the school’s second Final Four trip after losing the title game to Virginia in 2019.
That idea seemed far-fetched for most of this game as Arkansas broke out to a double-digit lead early and was in control most of the way. Johnell Davis’ layup with just under 5 minutes left gave the Razorbacks a 13-point lead.
But the Red Raiders closed regulation with a 16-3 run behind three 3-pointers from Christian Anderson and three baskets from Williams. The biggest came when he rattled in a 3 with 9.7 seconds left after Jonas Aidoo had missed the front end of a one-and-one.
JT Toppin then scored to start overtime and give Texas Tech its first lead since the opening minutes and it went back and forth from there, with D.J. Wagner tying it for Arkansas with 34 seconds left.
Williams then scored down low to give Texas Tech the lead and Wagner’s last shot hit the front rim, sending the Red Raiders into a wild celebration at midcourt as Williams pointed to the crowd that included a contingent of his friends and family that came from Sacramento for the game.
Calipari could only walk off the court with pursed lips and a sigh as his first season at Arkansas ended in heartbreak after he fell just short of being the first coach ever to take four schools to the Elite Eight.
Anderson scored 22 points to lead Texas Tech, while Toppin and Williams added 20 apiece.
Davis scored 30 points for the Razorbacks and Karter Knox added 20.
No chance
The Red Raiders were missing a key player once again with top outside shooter Chance McMillian missing his fourth straight game with an oblique injury. McMillian, who grew up in San Francisco, had been hoping to play in his homecoming game but was ruled out before tipoff.
Arkansas got forward Adou Thiero back for the first time since he injured his left knee on Feb. 22. Thiero played five minutes.
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