Texas Tech holds off Drake to reach Sweet 16 of NCAA men's basketball tournament

The Texas Tech men's basketball team marched on to the Sweet 16 with an 77-64 victory over Drake in the second round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

No. 3 Tech turned an early 18-12 deficit into a 25-20 lead with a 13-2 run in middle of the first half and held No. 11 Drake at arm's length the rest of the way, earning a regional semifinal game with No. 10 Arkansas next week in the West Regional in San Francisco.

Mar 22, 2025; Wichita, KS, USA; Drake Bulldogs guard Bennett Stirtz (14) dribbles the ball against Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Elijah Hawkins (3) during the second half at Intrust Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

The Red Raiders can make the Elite Eight if they win that game, a path that would take them through a 14 seed, an 11 seed and a 10 seed. After Tech opened up its lead, Drake never got closer than three points and most of the rest of game went between a five- and 10-point Red Raider lead until the final minutes.

Texas Tech shot 54% from the field to Drake's 43% and finally gained some breathing room in the final 10 minutes of the second half.

The Red Raider duo of JT Toppin and Darrion Williams was dominant, scoring 25 and 26 points respectively, as Tech improved to 27-8.

Up next

The Red Raiders face No. 10 Arkansas in a Sweet 16 game. It will be next Thursday or Friday in San Francisco.

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Texas Tech men top Drake to reach Sweet 16 of March Madness

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