No. 3 Texas Tech Clinches Sweet 16 Berth, Commended By Fans in Win vs. No. 11 Drake

Texas Tech is headed to the second week of March Madness.

The Red Raiders cruised to a 73-58 victory over Drake to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.

The Red Raiders took a 37-30 halftime lead over Drake and kept the pace going into the second half. Darrion Williams led the team with 28 points, six rebounds and five assists while J.T. Toppin had 25 points and 12 rebounds.

Bennett Stirtz led the Bulldogs with 21 points, eight assists and three rebounds. This was their third consecutive tournament appearance and the first-round win was the program's first since 1970.

Fans took to social media to praise the Red Raiders performance and project their chances to win the tournament.

The Red Raiders have advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2021-22. This avenged last season's first-round exit that came against North Carolina State.

Texas Tech will take on Arkansas in the Sweet 16 and the Razorbacks will be the third double-digit seed that the Red Raiders have faced in the tournament.