Darrion Williams struggled to make a shot for the first 30 minutes. However, he came through when it counted, propelling Texas Tech to an unexpected place in the Elite Eight.
Williams made the game-winning basket with 7.3 seconds remaining in overtime after tying the game with a crucial 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation, securing Texas Tech’s 85-83 victory over Arkansas on Thursday night.
“The heart of the team is Darrion Williams,” said coach Grant McCasland. “He is incredibly resilient. I have faith in him because I know he will find a way to win in one-game scenarios no matter what it takes.”
The game went into overtime as a result of a remarkable comeback by the third-seeded Red Raiders (28-8) who were down by 13 points with less than 5 minutes remaining against coach John Calipari’s 10th-seeded Razorbacks (22-14).
Texas Tech will now face top-seeded Florida in the West Region final on Saturday, with an opportunity to make their second Final Four appearance after their loss in the 2019 championship game against Virginia.
Arkansas took an early double-digit lead and maintained control for most of the game, leading by as many as 16 points in the second half, making the idea of Texas Tech’s comeback seem unlikely.
“In the huddle, Coach said we’re going to find a way to win this no matter how much we’re down,” said guard Christian Anderson. “As a team, we had that mindset, and we didn’t want to lose this game. We had to find a way to make it happen, and in the end, we did.”
Williams played a key role in leading the Red Raiders to victory, despite a shaky start where he missed most of his shots in front of his friends and family from Sacramento who came to support him.
The Red Raiders closed out regulation with a 16-3 run, fueled by three 3-pointers from Anderson and crucial baskets from Williams. The game-tying 3-pointer by Williams with 9.7 seconds left, following a missed free throw by Jonas Aidoo, was especially significant.
Williams, who had struggled with his 3-point shots earlier in the game, managed to make the important shot at the end of regulation, stating, “Obviously, they weren’t going in, but I was shooting open ones. They’ll fall.”
JT Toppin scored first in overtime, giving Texas Tech their first lead since the opening minutes. The game remained close, with D.J. Wagner tying the score for Arkansas with 34 seconds remaining.
Williams scored the go-ahead basket, securing the victory for Texas Tech, while Wagner’s final shot hit the front rim, leading to a jubilant celebration by the Red Raiders on the court.
Calipari walked off the court in disappointment as his first season at Arkansas ended, falling just short of becoming the first coach to lead four different schools to the Elite Eight.
Anderson led Texas Tech with 22 points, with Toppin and Williams contributing 20 points each.
Johnell Davis scored 30 points for the Razorbacks, while Karter Knox added 20.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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