March Madness Sweet 16 Showdown: Thrilling Overtime Battles and Record-Breaking Performances

The NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 delivered unforgettable moments as the field narrowed to the Elite Eight. Here's a breakdown of Thursday's action-packed games:

(3) Texas Tech 85, (10) Arkansas 83 (OT)

The Comeback Kings: Texas Tech staged the second-largest comeback in Sweet 16 history, erasing a 16-point deficit to force OT. Darrion Williams nailed the game-tying 3-pointer with 9 seconds left and hit the OT winner with 7 seconds remaining. Three Red Raiders scored 20+ points in the dramatic victory.

Key Stat: Texas Tech outscored Arkansas 25-12 in the final 4:43 of regulation.

(1) Duke 100, (4) Arizona 93

Flagg's Masterclass: Freshman phenom Cooper Flagg delivered a 30-point, 6-rebound, 7-assist masterpiece, including a halftime buzzer-beating 3. Duke shot 58% from deep and survived Arizona's free-throw barrage.

Player to Watch: 7'2" freshman Khaman Maluach showed flashes of brilliance but needs to avoid foul trouble against Alabama.

(2) Alabama 113, (6) BYU 88

3-Point Barrage: The Crimson Tide set a NCAA Tournament record with 25 made 3-pointers, eclipsing the old mark with 7+ minutes remaining. Mark Sears became the first player in tournament history with 10+ 3s (34 points) and 8 assists in a game.

X-Factor: Guards Aden Holloway (23 pts) and Chris Youngblood (19 pts) provided crucial secondary scoring.

(1) Florida 87, (4) Maryland 71

Balanced Attack: Five Gators scored in double figures despite 17 turnovers. Will Richard led with 15 points as Florida pulled away in the second half.

Injury Watch: Big man Alex Condon's ankle remains a concern after tweaking it during the game.

What's Next:

Saturday's Elite Eight Matchups:

• South Region: (1) Duke vs (2) Alabama - Potential shootout between two 100-point scoring teams
• West Region: (1) Florida vs (3) Texas Tech - Condon vs. Texas Tech's resilience

Tournament Trends:

• Top seeds have won 72% of Sweet 16 games since 2012
• Teams that make 10+ 3s are 23-6 this tournament
• Overtime games are 5-2 when decided by 3 points or fewer