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Texas Tech Wins First Overtime Game of NCAA Tournament After Wild Comeback

What a comeback.

Blake Silverman, Dan Lyons

Texas Tech Red Raiders forward Williams celebrates with guard Anderson after shooting a game-tying three point basket.
Texas Tech Red Raiders forward Williams celebrates with guard Anderson after shooting a game-tying three point basket. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
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No. 3 seed Texas Tech forced the first overtime game of this year's men's NCAA tournament with an unlikely comeback in the final minutes of regulation against No. 10 Arkansas in the Sweet 16, and used the momentum in the extra frame to punch their ticket to the Elite Eight with an 85–83 win.

The Red Raiders trailed by 13 points with 4:43 remaining before they clawed their way back into the game against John Calipari's Razorbacks. In the final seconds of regulation, Darrion Williams tied the game at 79 apiece with a three-pointer assisted by Christian Anderson. Arkansas had a chance to win on the final possession, but the attempt came up short and the battle for an Elite Eight berth was extended.

Texas Tech trailed by as many as 16 points midway through the second half before they began to storm back, the second-largest comeback ever in the Sweet 16. Anderson fueled the comeback with three three-pointers in the final 4:21 of regulation and he added the game-tying assist.

A frenetic overtime saw five lead changes in just five minutes. Arkansas's Trevon Brazile tied the game at 81 with a three with 1:24 left in the game, which JT Toppin answered with a go-ahead bucket 22 seconds later. The Hogs' D.J. Wagner tied things up once again at 83 on the ensuing possession, but Texas Tech's Williams hit what proved to be the game-winning shot from the paint with seven seconds remaining.

With the seconds ticking down, Wagner tried to keep the Razorbacks alive, but was forced into an off-balance jumper by Elijah Hawkins. The ball hit the front of the rim with a thud, sending the Red Raiders to their first Elite Eight since 2019.

With the win, Texas Tech will face No. 1 Florida with a Final Four berth out of the West Region on the line. Saturday's Elite Eight game in San Francisco tips off at 6:09 p.m. ET on TBS.

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Blake Silverman
BLAKE SILVERMAN

Blake Silverman is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys and A10Talk. He graduated from Michigan State University before receiving a master's in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure University. Outside of work, he's probably binging the latest Netflix documentary, at a yoga studio or enjoying everything Detroit sports. A lifelong Michigander, he lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, young son and their personal petting zoo of two cats and a dog.

Dan Lyons
DAN LYONS

Dan Lyons is a staff writer and editor on Sports Illustrated's Breaking and Trending News team. He joined SI for his second stint in November 2024 after a stint as a senior college football writer at Athlon Sports, and a previous run with SI spanning multiple years as a writer and editor. Outside of sports, you can find Dan at an indie concert venue or movie theater.

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