SEC dominates first half of men’s Sweet 16

The GIST: After a long two days without March Madness action, the first half of the men’s Sweet 16 came in like a wrecking ball last night, with stunning individual performances and all-around SEC dominance.

• By the time we’re back in your inbox on Monday, the Final Four will already be set as Elite Eight play tips off tomorrow and Sunday. Buckle up, baby.

No. 3 Texas Tech posts second-largest comeback in Sweet 16 history: On the brink of elimination against famed HC John Calipari’s No. 10 Arkansas squad, the Red Raiders stormed back from a 16-point deficit to force overtime (OT) before ultimately winning the back-and-forth thriller — the first OT game of the tourney — 85–83. Pure Madness. 

No. 2 seed Alabama shoots the lights out: No. 6 BYU’s offense was humming, but they were still blown out by the Crimson Tide, who racked up an astounding 25 three-pointers on 51 attempts — both NCAA Tournament records — to crush the Cougs 113–88. Alabama’s Player of the Year candidate, veteran guard Mark Sears, was particularly stellar with 10 treys himself.

No. 1 seeds pull away for narrow wins: It seemed that two potential upsets were brewing, but Florida and Duke hit the gas to separate themselves from their No. 4 seed opponents. The Gators chomped Maryland 87–71 even as star big man Alex Condon was sidelined with a rolled ankle for much of the night, while Duke outlasted Arizona 100–93 behind 30 points from freshman star Cooper Flagg.

Up next: Your weekend plans (aka the Elite Eight) will be set after tonight’s four remaining Sweet 16 matchups. Don’t have multiple screens? Prioritize No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Kentucky at 7:39 p.m. ET. This all–SEC matchup comes with some extra intrigue: Other than No. 1 Florida, Kentucky’s the only team to beat the Vols twice this season.

• Then at 9:39 p.m. ET, a confident No. 5 Michigan meets No. 1 Auburn. The Wolverines have momentum and, more importantly, are motivated by the chance of an Elite Eight matchup vs. sworn enemy No. 2 Michigan State. The only thing more rallying than glory? Hatred.