WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Darrion Williams scored a season-high 28 points, JT Toppin had 25 points and 12 rebounds, and No. 3 seed Texas Tech dominated No. 11 seed Drake in the paint on its way to a 77-64 victory Saturday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Elijah Hawkins added 16 points for the Red Raiders (27-8), who denied the Bulldogs their first Sweet 16 trip in more than five decades and will play No. 10 seed Arkansas in the West Region semifinals Thursday night in San Francisco.
Bennett Stirtz scored 21 points and Daniel Abreu added 15 for Drake (31-4), which was outscored 50-20 inside by the bigger, stronger Red Raiders, and had its eight-game winning streak come to an end.
Texas Tech beat UNC Wilmington in the first round with a 3-point barrage, setting a tournament record with 46 attempts. But with the Bulldogs blanketing the Red Raiders’ guards, coach Grant McCasland chose to funnel the ball inside to Toppin, a second-team All-American, and Williams, who has been dealing with a right leg injury.
Toppin had 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting in the first half. Williams had 14 by the break. And the duo contributed all of the Red Raiders’ points during a 13-2 first-half run that helped to send them into the locker room with a 37-30 lead.
It was almost as if Texas Tech knew exactly how to dismantle the nation’s No. 2 scoring defense.
Maybe it learned during its scrimmage with Drake back in November.
The Bulldogs were still within 43-38 early in the second half when coach Ben McCollum earned a technical foul, and Hawkins went to the line for Texas Tech and hit four straight free throws. And while the Missouri Valley champions kept fighting the final 15 minutes, the Red Raiders — well, Williams and Toppin — were able to answer every basket to put them away.
Takeaways
Drake hopes it can keep McCollum in Des Moines, Iowa. The native of Iowa City — the home of the University of Iowa — is one of the leading contenders for the open job with the Hawkeyes.
Texas Tech survived the opening weekend without Chance McMillian, its third-leading scorer. The hope is that his upper-body injury is sufficiently healed to play in the Sweet 16.
Up next
The Red Raiders will play John Calipari’s Razorbacks for a spot in the Elite Eight.
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