As the Sweet 16 tipped off in the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday, four games came down to the wire—including a dramatic overtime battle between Texas Tech and Arkansas.
The Red Raiders ultimately edged the Razorbacks 85-83.
Texas Tech Rallies Past Arkansas in OT Thriller to Reach Elite Eight
It was far from Texas Tech’s cleanest performance. In fact, there were stretches where it looked like the Red Raiders might not have enough to pull through. But after what head coach Grant McCasland called “lazy” analysis from his team, he delivered a pivotal message to point guard Elijah Hawkins that sparked a turnaround.
After a first-round exit in last year’s tournament, McCasland and his team had something to prove. It hasn’t always been pretty, but the Red Raiders have found ways to win—most recently against a battle-tested Arkansas squad.
Before tipoff, McCasland delivered a passionate speech in the locker room.
“There’s a lot of distractions that happen,” he told the team. “People want to know if they can have tickets, and people want your autograph and want to say hi to you who didn’t want to say hi before. And you know what? You lose, and those same people don’t want to say hi to you again.”
“We have not arrived. We are not what we need to be. But we’ve put ourselves in a position to do what we need to do in order to win these basketball games,” McCasland added, expressing how much he values the team’s collective effort.
During the game, as Texas Tech fell behind, McCasland continued to rally his players, including Hawkins, with a calm but confident message.
“I just kept telling them, let’s see how many threes [Arkansas] can make. Bring it on. We’re still winning this game,” McCasland said. “Let’s see how far we can get down and still win this game.”
Christian Anderson led the Red Raiders with 20 points. JT Toppin and Darrion Williams matched him, each scoring 20 as well. Both Toppin and Williams came close to double-doubles, grabbing nine rebounds apiece.
MORE: Grant McCasland’s Powerful Message Ahead of Sweet 16 Rallies Red Raiders
Texas Tech will face Florida on Saturday night in the Elite Eight.
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