The final game of the night didn’t end until very early Friday morning on the East Coast, but it was a finish worth staying up for.
It was an evening with plenty to get excited about: Texas Tech and Arkansas went to overtime. Arizona gave Duke its first test of the tournament. Alabama made history. Florida dominated.
Here’s what to know from Thursday’s action-packed Sweet 16:
Texas Tech 85, Arkansas 83
The night’s final game deserves the top spot in the recap.
Texas Tech trailed by as much as 16 before using an incredible late run to tie the game with nine seconds to go, going on to win in overtime after getting one last defensive stop on Arkansas.
Darrion Williams made a twisting, driving layup with seven seconds to go in the extra period to put his team ahead for good, the last two of his 20 points. It put the finishing touches on a win that will go down in NCAA tournament history – the Red Raiders’ comeback was the second-biggest comeback in Sweet 16 history.
Arkansas, with one final possession, turned to DJ Wagner to force a second overtime, but his shot came up short for the No. 10 Razorbacks. It was a heartbreaking collapse for the Razorbacks, an unlikely team to be playing the role of this year’s Cinderella given the amount of talent on the team helmed by head coach John Calipari.
Christian Anderson led the way for Tech with 22 points and Big 12 player of the year JT Toppin added 20 points.
No. 3 Texas Tech goes on to play Florida at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday for a chance to go to the Final Four. That game will air on TBS/truTV.
Florida 87, Maryland 71
No. 1 Florida are through to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2017, after knocking off No. 4 Maryland 87-71 in San Francisco.
Four of Florida’s five starters, and six players total, finished in double figures in points, with Will Richard leading the way with 15 points.
“It’s who we are, it’s part of our DNA, it’s what makes us good,” Florida head coach Todd Golden said after the win on the team’s ability to shoot and rebound.
Florida faces the Red Raiders next.
Alabama 113, BYU 88
It was a historic night in Newark, New Jersey for the No. 2 seed Alabama squad.
With the 113-88 win over No. 6 seed BYU, the Crimson Tide will head to their second consecutive Elite Eight, where they will face Duke on Saturday at the Prudential Center.
The Tide knocked down a remarkable 25 3-pointers, including 21 combined from guards Mark Sears, Aden Holloway and Chris Youngblood – the most in men’s NCAA tournament history. Loyola Marymount made 21 3-pointers in 1990, setting the previous mark.
Alabama’s 51 3-point attempts are the most by any team in March Madness.
The senior Sears finished with 34 points while Holloway added 23 points.
Sears mentioned his struggles over the last few games on the CBS broadcast after the game.
“I knew this was the perfect example to go out there and let a couple go in,” he said.
Duke 100, Arizona 93
Duke hung on to down Arizona 100-93 to advance to their second straight Elite Eight and 25th overall in program history.
Cooper Flagg showed why he is considered one of the best recruits in college basketball history, finishing with 30 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the win. He added three blocks too.
Flagg told the CBS broadcast after the game that the team knew it would be an “absolute battle” coming into the game.
“They can just compete really, really hard,” Flagg said. “It was just about staying strong and do what we do.”
Caleb Love’s effort kept the Wildcats in the game until the very end.
The senior guard scored a game-high 35 points.
The Blue Devils will face No. 2 seed Alabama on at 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday with a chance to advance to their first Final Four appearance since 2022. That game will air on TBS/truTV.
