Saturday evening 6 seed Texas Tech and 3 seed Arkansas went to battle in the round of 32. Texas Tech got to the Round of 32 by beating 11 seed Utah State 65-53. Arkansas defeated 14 seed Colgate 85-68 in the first round.
Arkansas had an excellent season, posting a 23-6 record, which earned them a 3 seed. Freshman guard Moses Moody leads Arkansas; Mood, the SEC Freshman of the Year, averaged 17.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for Arkansas.
Texas Tech had an up and down season, winning 18 games and losing 10, which earned them a 6 seed. Junior guard Mac McClung leads them. McClung, the Big 12 newcomer of the year, averaged 15.8 points per game for Texas Tech.
First Half
For much of the first half, Texas Tech was in control of the game. Both teams played well; Texas Tech shot 36.4% from the field. Arkansas, on the other hand, shot a bit better in the first at a 42.4% mark. Both teams did a good job of taking care of the ball in the first, with only 6 turnovers between the two teams.
At the 10:35 mark in the first, Texas Tech held a 10-point lead, 23-13. For the rest of the first half, Arkansas would fight back and take the lead at the 3:12 mark, 33-31. The score would stay at 33-31 for the rest of the half, as neither team scored for the last 3:12 of the half. Even though Texas Tech seemed to be in control for much of the first, they found themselves down 2 at the break.
Arkansas’ Justin Smith had a big first-half, scoring 10 points and grabbing 4 rebounds. Davonte Davis also had a big first half, scoring 9 points and also grabbing 4 rebounds. JD Noate, the SEC Sixth-Man of the Year, scored 6 points off the bench for Arkansas in the first.
Texas Tech star Mac McClung stepped up in the first, scoring 7 points and recording 3 rebounds. Terrence Shannon Jr. Scored 9 in the first. Kevin McCullar was able to score 7 as well as grab 5 rebounds in the first for Texas Tech.
Second Half
Texas Tech seemed to be in control for much of the first half, Arkansas seemed to be in control for much of the second. Arkansas came out of halftime hot, extending their lead to as much as 13. Texas Tech had their back against the wall and easily could have given up, but they didn’t. They would use an 11-0 run to make it a 2-point game, 54-56, at the 6:25 mark.
The final 6:25 was a rollercoaster ride. Arkansas would create an 8-point deficit, 65-57, at the 3:55 mark. Texas Tech would answer with a 9-2 run to make it a 67-66 game with only 1:45 left. Arkansas made one and missed one free throw with 19 seconds left, making the score 68-66 and giving Texas Tech a chance to go for the tie or the win with a three. Texas Tech’s Kyler Edwards would miss a layup with 3 seconds left, and Arkansas would dribble out the rest of the clock. Arkansas would survive the Texas Tech comeback and come away with a 68-66 win.
Arkansas’ Justin Smith built off his strong first, finishing with 20 points and 6 rebounds. Davis and Moody would both finish with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Jalen Tate also added 10 points for Arkansas.
Shannon Jr. Finished the game with 20 points. McCullar scored 15 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. McClung was only able to score 2 points in the second half, finishing with 9 points in Texas Tech’s heart-breaking loss.
Arkansas will advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1996 where they will face 15 seed Oral Roberts.
