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CLEVELAND (AP) — Jarrett Allen scored a season-high 29 points, Donovan Mitchell had a career-high 14 assists and the Cleveland Cavaliers looked more comfortable back home, holding off the San Antonio Spurs 124-116 on Thursday night.

Allen went 10 of 11 from the floor and added 16 rebounds for Cleveland, which went 2-4 on a just-completed six-game trip out West.

Mitchell scored 25 and flirted with his first career triple-double, finishing with eight rebounds.

Allen’s three-point play — on an assist from Mitchell — put the Cavs up 117-112 and Darius Garland’s 3-pointer put the Spurs away with 1:16 left.

Rookie Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell had 22 points apiece for the Spurs, who are fighting to make the Western Conference play-in.

The Cavs rested All-Star forward Evan Mobley. Superb sixth man Ty Jerome sat out with a sore left knee.
Takeaways

Spurs: According to a report in France’s LeEquipe, star Victor Wembanyama underwent surgery to correct the deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder, an ailment that sidelined him for the rest of this season. Interim coach Mitch Johnson did not have an update on Wembanyama. “We’re going to keep his plan and program in house for now,” Johnson said.

Cavaliers: Mitchell’s recent shooting issues (he came in 3 of 29 on 3s) may have some Cleveland fans on edge, but coach Kenny Atkinson isn’t worried about the All-Star, likening his struggles to a baseball slugger in a slump.
Key moment

With the Cavs leading by two, Mitchell had an open wing 3-pointer, but instead rifled his pass inside to Allen for the game’s biggest bucket and assist No. 14.
Key stat

Mitchell has played in 534 games and is still missing a triple-double from his resume.
Up next

The Spurs host Boston on Saturday. The Cavs play a back-to-back, visiting Detroit on Friday night.

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Jaden Hardy scored 22 points, Anthony Davis added 15 points and seven rebounds and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Orlando Magic 101-92 on Thursday night.

Paolo Banchero had 35 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic, who shot 5 of 30 from 3-point range. Franz Wagner added 20 points and nine rebounds.

Hardy came off the bench and made 5 of 6 3-point shots, three of them in a span of 90 seconds in the third quarter.

Brandon Williams and Max Christie, also off the Dallas bench, scored 14 and 12 points respectively. Klay Thompson also scored 12.
Takeaways

Mavericks: Davis, playing for only third time in 25 games since his trade from the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 2, exceeded his 24-28-minute restriction by 51 seconds to help Dallas win for only the fourth time in 14 games. The Mavs moved a half game ahead of Phoenix into 10th place in the Western Conference.

Magic: Entering the game with the same 35-38 record as the Mavericks, the Magic remained eighth in the Eastern Conference, losing for the seventh time in their last eight home games. Banchero scored 30 (or more) for the ninth time in 14 games, during which he has averaged 31.3 points on 52% shooting.
Key moment

With the Mavericks clinging to a six-point lead, a 3-pointer by Hardy took a wild bounce and dropped in with 1:53 remaining.
Key stats

The Mavericks shot 47.8% (11 for 23) from 3-point range to the Magic’s 16.7%, and the Dallas bench scored 57 points to Orlando’s 19.
Up next

The Mavericks take on the Bulls in Chicago and the Magic play host to the Kings on Saturday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Alperen Sengun had 33 points and 10 rebounds, Amen Thompson finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and the Houston Rockets beat the Utah Jazz 121-110 on Thursday night.

The Rockets have a two-game lead over the third-place Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference standings with a little more than two weeks left in the regular season.

Jalen Green added 21 points and Tari Eason scored 15 for Houston.

Collin Sexton led Utah with 21 points. Keyonte George scored 17, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski had 16 apiece and Brice Sensabaugh added 15.
Takeaways

Rockets: The game began an eight-game stretch for the Rockets that includes only two home contests as they seek to hold off the Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis for the Western Conference’s No. 2 playoff seed.

Jazz: While Utah lost for the 14th time in 15 games, Collier has provided some reason for hope by scoring well above his season average lately. Two nights after scoring 21 points against Memphis, Collier had 16 more while shooting 7 of 12.
Key moment

After Sexton sank a 3-pointer to cut the Rockets’ lead to 105-102 with 3:36 left, Thompson scored 18 seconds later to spark a 6-0 run that gave the Rockets some breathing room.
Key stat

Houston outrebounded Utah 58-40 — 18-3 on the offensive glass — and had a 30-8 advantage in second-chance points.
Up next

The Rockets play the Suns in Phoenix on Sunday. The Jazz kick off a five-game road trip Friday when the play the Denver Nuggets.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

The New York Jets signed veteran Josh Reynolds to a one-year deal Thursday, adding depth to their wide receivers group.

The 30-year-old Reynolds, who spent last season with Denver and Jacksonville, is reunited with Jets coach Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand with whom he worked during three seasons in Detroit.

Reynolds joins a Jets wide receivers room that includes Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, Xavier Gipson, Malachi Corley, Irvin Charles and Tyler Johnson, who was also signed as a free agent this offseason. New York released wide receiver Davante Adams, who later signed with the Los Angeles Rams. Reynolds could end up replacing Lazard, who could be traded or released.

Reynolds has 233 career catches for 3,127 yards and 20 touchdowns in 116 regular-season games, including 55 starts, over eight NFL seasons.

He signed last offseason with Denver — where current Jets general manager Darren Mougey was the assistant GM — and played in five games before being placed on injured reserve with a broken finger.

Reynolds was shot in the left arm and the back of the head on Oct. 18 after he left a strip club in Glendale, Arizona, at about 2:45 a.m. Reynolds said he and two other men were followed into and then out of the club before shots were fired into their SUV.

Reynolds made it back onto the field, but was waived by Denver in December and claimed by Jacksonville. He finished with a combined 13 catches for 194 yards and a score in nine games with both teams. He was released by the Jaguars on March 6.

Reynolds was a fourth-round draft pick of the Rams in 2017 out of Texas A&M, Glenn’s alma mater. The Texas native played four seasons with Los Angeles and set career bests with 52 catches and 618 yards receiving in 2020. He signed with Tennessee in 2021, but played in only five games before being waived.

Reynolds was claimed by Detroit, where played the next three seasons and caught 97 passes for 1,393 yards and 10 TDs. Glenn was the Lions’ defensive coordinator and Engstrand was the passing game coordinator during two of Reynolds’ seasons in Detroit.

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Kenneth Sims, a standout at Texas who became the No. 1 overall draft pick in the NFL draft in 1982, has died. He was 65.

The University of Texas said Sims died on March 21 at his home.

Sims’ death came after a brief illness, according to the National Football Foundation, but no further information was provided. He became a National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Famer in 2021.

A Kosse, Texas, native, Sims shined as a defensive tackle for Texas from 1978 to 1981 and was an AP All-American selection in 1980 and 1981. He was an unanimous All-American pick in 1981, the same season that the Longhorns finished 10-1-1, beat Alabama in the Cotton Bowl, and finished ranked No. 2 in the final AP poll.

Over his final two college seasons Sims totaled 241 tackles, 21 sacks, 40 tackles for loss, 11 forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries.

His efforts helped him become the first Longhorns player to receive the Lombardi Award, given to the nation’s best collegiate lineman, in 1981.

Sims was selected with the top pick in the 1982 NFL draft by the New England Patriots. He was selected to the 1982 all-rookie team and spent his entire career in New England, but had trouble duplicating the production he had at the collegiate level.

His best NFL season was in 1985 when he had 5 1/2 sacks in 13 games, helping the Patriots reach Super Bowl 20, where they lost to the Chicago Bears. But Sims didn’t play in that game after suffering a broken leg in the regular season.

A funeral service will be held on April 5 in Kosse, Texas.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Wilyer Abreu hit a three-run shot in the ninth inning for his second homer of the opener, powering the Boston Red Sox past the Texas Rangers 5-2 on Thursday.

Abreu had a part in every run for Boston. He singled and scored on a fielder’s choice grounder in the third. He homered in the fifth off Nathan Eovaldi and his game-winner was a 394-foot liner to right-center off new Rangers reliever Luke Jackson.

Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless eighth in his Red Sox debut for the win. Justin Slaten saved it with a perfect ninth.

Garrett Crochet struck out four, walked two and gave up two runs in five innings in his Red Sox debut. The 25-year-old was their youngest left-handed starter on opening day since Babe Ruth in 1918. Crochet started the opener last year for the White Sox, who traded him to Boston in December.

Eovaldi struck out nine without a walk, and allowed two runs in six innings. It was his second opening-day start in a row for Texas after starting three Boston openers from 2020-22.

Kevin Pillar, starting his 13th big league season with his 10th team, had an RBI single in his first at-bat for Texas in the second. He had a two-out single and scored on Kyle Higashioka’s double for a 2-1 lead in the fourth.
Key moment

Kristian Campbell, the 22-year-old Red Sox second baseman who made his big league debut, got his first hit on a sharp one-hopper right before Abreu’s second homer.
Key stat

Eovaldi’s nine strikeouts matched the most by a Texas pitcher on opening day. The first five came when Red Sox batters swung and missed 76-78 mph curveballs.
Up next

Tanner Houck, an All-Star last season, starts for Boston in a matchup of first-round draft picks Friday night. Jack Leiter is set to go for the Rangers.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

HOUSTON (AP) — Cam Smith brought three dozen Shipley’s glazed donuts to his Houston Astros teammates Thursday morning before his major league debut.

Then he really delivered, with an opposite-field single on the first pitch he saw in the major leagues to help Houston to a 3-1 win over the New York Mets.

“They all liked it, so that’s a good thing,” Smith said of the donuts, a sentiment that could also apply to his second-inning hit that set up the first run of the game.

The 22-year-old prospect reached the majors after playing just 32 minor league games. Batting seventh and starting in right field, he became the second-youngest Astros position player to make his MLB debut as a starter on opening day and the youngest since Rusty Staub was 19 in 1963.

With one out in the second, Smith grounded a single to right field on a sinker from Clay Holmes to get his first big league hit in his initial plate appearance. Jeremy Peña dashed from first to third on the play and later scored on a groundout.

“I was just looking for a pitch and I wanted to ambush it and I got lucky with that base hit,” Smith said.

The poise he showed in his debut impressed his coaches and teammates.

“He’s amazing,” Jose Altuve said. “He went the other way on a tough pitch and he set the tone to score the first run. I know he’s going to help this team a lot. He’s going to be out there getting better and better. He’s just so talented.”

Most believed that Smith, the 14th overall pick in last year’s amateur draft, would need more time in the minors when he was acquired in December from the Chicago Cubs along with Isaac Paredes and Hayden Wesneski as part of the Kyle Tucker trade.

Instead, Smith hit .342 with a triple, four homers, 11 RBIs and a 1.130 OPS this spring to earn a spot on the major league roster.

The Astros announced he’d make the big league roster earlier this week, with manager Joe Espada inviting Smith’s mother into the clubhouse to deliver the news. Video of the moment shared by the Astros captured the touching exchange.

After the trade, Smith moved from third base, where Paredes is starting, to right field, where he replaced Tucker.

Still wearing his dirt-stained uniform long after the last pitch Thursday, the kid who was playing college ball at Florida State at this time last year said he hadn’t had time to reflect on his whirlwind journey to the big leagues.

“I have not,” Smith said. “I was just out there with my family on the field appreciating this day and … good thing we got done early so I can go home and get my feet under myself and think about it.”

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The New York Yankees showed they can still win with a little scruff on their chins while Baltimore’s Tyler O’Neill might be the best player on Earth during the first game of the season.

And to no one’s surprise, Japanese star Shohei Ohtani delivered more big hits for the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers as Major League Baseball celebrated its domestic opening day with 14 games on Thursday.

New York’s Carlos Rodón — sporting a well-kept short beard — gave up just one run over 5 1/3 innings while striking out seven, leading the Yankees to a 4-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. In February, the Yankees announced that they were ending their 49-year ban on beards.

O’Neill went deep for a sixth straight opening day to extend his own record, connecting for a three-run homer in the Orioles’ 12-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. He finished 3 for 3 with two walks and three runs scored.

Even more special, the Canadian was able to play in his home country for the first time on opening day.

Ohtani hit a solo homer and scored twice for the Dodgers, who improved to 3-0 this season with a 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers. The Dodgers beat the Cubs twice in Tokyo to open the season on March 18 and 19.

Here are a few more highlights from the first day of the six-month MLB season:
Yankees shake rough spring, get win

Austin Wells became the first catcher to hit a leadoff homer on opening day, sparking the Yankees to their win over the Brewers.

It was a good day in New York after a rough spring in Florida.

The Yankees were hit hard with injuries during Grapefruit League play, losing ace Gerrit Cole for the season after learning he needed Tommy John surgery. Slugger Giancarlo Stanton (sore elbows), reigning AL Rookie of the Year pitcher Luis Gil (lat strain), right-hander Clarke Schmidt (shoulder fatigue) and infielder DJ LeMahieu (left calf strain) also start the season on the injured list.

None of that mattered against the Brewers. New closer Devin Williams — an All-Star acquired from the Brewers in a December trade — worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam to seal the win.
Orioles muscle up

O’Neill’s record-extending homer was just one facet of Baltimore’s potent offense. The Orioles went deep six times in their lopsided win over the Blue Jays, including two homers for both catcher Adley Rutschman and center fielder Cedric Mullins.

Rutschman’s power display is a good indicator that he’s ready to bounce back from a slightly disappointing 2024 season when he hit .250 with 19 homers. The two-time All-Star and former No. 1 overall pick finished with three hits.
Winning White Sox

The Chicago White Sox took advantage of a much-needed fresh start, beating the Los Angeles Angels 8-1.

The White Sox were coming off a 41-121 record last season, which set the post-1900 major league record for losses in a season. Chicago’s still expected to be in rebuilding mode this summer, but at least for one day, the White Sox looked like an improved bunch.

Sean Burke threw six scoreless innings, Andrew Benintendi, Lenyn Sosa and Austin Slater all hit homers and Will Venable won his MLB managerial debut.

For the Angels, it was their 11th opening day loss in 12 years.
Arenado goes deep

Nolan Arenado is still in St. Louis and still a very good baseball player.

Arenado hit a solo homer in the Cardinals’ 5-3 win over the Minnesota Twins, saluting the home crowd with a curtain call.

The Cardinals tried to trade the eight-time All-Star third baseman during the offseason, but nothing worked out, so the 33-year-old is back at Busch Stadium’s hot corner — at least for the time being.
Dodgers keep winning

There’s no way the Los Angeles Dodgers go 162-0 this season, right?

Right?

Well, they’re 159 wins away after beating the Tigers on Thursday. The big-budget Dodgers have delivered so far in the early season, looking every bit the favorite to win back-to-back World Series titles for the first time since the Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000.

Ohtani hit his second homer of the season, going deep in the seventh. Teoscar Hernández hit a three-run homer and two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell pitched well in his Dodgers debut, giving up two runs over five innings after signing a $182 million, five-year deal during the offseason.
Quick hits

Miami’s Sandy Alcántara gave up two runs over 4 2/3 innings in a 5-4 win against the Pirates in a solid return after missing the entire 2024 season after Tommy John surgery. Alcántara was the 2022 NL Cy Young award winner. Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, who won the NL Rookie of the Year award last season, countered by giving up two runs over 5 1/3 innings. … Fernando Tatis Jr. had three hits and Manny Machado added two doubles as the Padres beat the Braves 7-4. … Wilmer Flores hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning, and the San Francisco Giants rallied for a 6-4 victory over Cincinnati, spoiling Terry Francona’s debut as Reds manager. … New Mets star Juan Soto struck out with two on base in the ninth to end New York’s 3-1 loss to Houston. Soto signed a record $765 million, 15-year deal during the offseason. … Washington’s MacKenzie Gore struck out a career high 13 batters against Philadelphia, but the Phillies rallied for a 7-3 win. Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber went deep for the Phillies. … Boston’s Wilyer Abreu dedicated a two-homer game to his newborn twin boys. Abreu went deep twice in Boston’s season-opening 5-2 win at Texas, including a tiebreaking three-run shot in the ninth. … Catcher Miguel Amaya had two doubles and five RBIs to lead the Cubs past the Diamondbacks 10-6.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Alabama broke the 35-year-old March Madness record for 3-pointers with 25 and Mark Sears scored 30 of his 34 points on 3s, a relentless long-range spree that ushered the second-seeded Crimson Tide past BYU 113-88 on Thursday night in an NCAA Tournament East Region semifinal.

Alabama reached the Elite Eight in consecutive years for the first time in program history.

The Crimson Tide made 25 of 51 3-point attempts to break the record of 21 set by Loyola Marymount in a second-round game against Michigan in 1990. Sears, a first-team All-America guard, hit the record-breaking 22nd 3 late in the game to make it 97-66 and received a standing ovation from the Alabama fans when he checked out with 10 3s and more than four minutes left to play.

Sears and the Crimson Tide (28-8) showed they are no March fluke under coach Nate Oats. Riding a wave of 3s, Alabama set itself up for a date against top-seeded Duke for a shot at the Final Four.

Richie Saunders scored 25 points to lead sixth-seeded BYU (26-10), which hasn’t played in a regional final since 1981.

Sears’ 10 3s were one short of the record set by Loyola Marymount’s Jeff Fryer in that memorable 149-115 win over Michigan. Sears was 1 of 9 from 3 in the first two NCAA Tournament games.

He missed only seven times against BYU.

“I felt like the basket was as big as an ocean,” Sears said. “I lost myself in the game.”

The Crimson Tide made their first Final Four appearance in school history last season, when they lost to eventual national champion UConn.

Alabama loved the 3 this season, averaging 28 attempts a game. Against BYU, Sears and the Crimson Tide feasted on the long ball.

Sears hit five in the first half, camping out behind the arc without much of a hand in his face. Sears and Chris Youngblood hit back-to-back 3s for a 38-30 lead and repeated the feat minutes later for a 44-34 advantage. BYU’s Egor Demin followed with an airball and Alabama could smell crimson in the water.

Alabama attempted 15 2-pointers and made 10 of them.

“We’ve been working all week to prepare to get our shot right,” Sears said.

Sears raised his teammates out of their seats and into a frenzy when another 3 early in the second half opened a 63-47 lead that sent the shaken Cougars into a timeout. The deep, up-tempo Crimson Tide let Sears bury 3 after 3 after 3 with the Elite Eight in sight.

Alabama’s previous 3-point record was 23 against LSU in 2021. John Petty Jr., twice hit 10 3s, the latter time against Samford in 2019.
Takeaways

Alabama continued the Southeastern Conference’s run in the tournament and coasted in its third straight Sweet 16 appearance. Holloway made six 3s and Youngblood had five. Collectively, Alabama shot 53% from the floor and it also made 18 of 21 free throws.

The shots — and now, free tater tots — dried up for BYU. Saunders, a descendant of the man who invented tater tots, had fueled BYU’s run to the Sweet 16.

BYU was a bust trying match Alabama beyond the arc. The Cougars missed 12 of 13 3s in the first half.

“We felt like it was hard for them to sustain that,” coach Kevin Young said. “You’re trying everything and nothing seemed to work.”

The Cougars gamely pulled within striking distance only to get socked down by, yes, another Alabama 3. Demin hit a 3 that pulled BYU within 63-55, only for Aden Holloway to connect again beyond the arc for the Tide.

“An open 3 is kind of a layup,” Holloway said.
Up next

Alabama will try to reach only the second Final Four in program history.

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NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Duke stud Cooper Flagg’s highlight reel included a 3-pointer from just in front of the logo at the halftime buzzer, one no-look pass for an alley-oop and another for a 3, and a huge blocked shot into a row of Arizona cheerleaders.

He needed all that to hold off an onslaught from the Wildcats and Duke’s biggest nemesis, Caleb Love, for a 100-93 victory in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night that pushed the Blue Devils a win from the Final Four.

Flagg’s final line: 30 points, seven assists, six rebounds, three blocks. And his biggest college win yet.

“That’s one of the best tournament performances I’ve ever coached or been a part of,” said coach Jon Scheyer, who has seen plenty.

Love, a thorn in Duke’s side for the last five years, finished with 35 points, one short of his career high, including a streak of 15 straight for his fourth-seeded Wildcats (24-13) during a ferocious second-half run that cut a 19-point deficit to five with 1:56 left.

But it’s the top-seeded Blue Devils (34-3) moving on. On Saturday comes a 1-vs.-2 showdown in the East Region, when Scheyer’s team faces Alabama, which set a March Madnessrecord for 3-pointers in a 113-88 win over BYU earlier in the evening.

A win would put Duke in the Final Four for the 18th time. The last time, in 2022, Love played for North Carolina and scored 28 points to bring an end to legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski’s career.

This time, the 18-year-old Flagg ended Love’s stay in college, and showed why he should be the top pick in the NBA draft if he decides to leave, too.

“What I’ve wanted from him was not to defer,” Scheyer said. “Just wanted him to fully be him. I thought he was in his element tonight. He was loose, talking, competitive, the whole thing.”

Arizona chipped away at its big deficit and got within five when Carter Bryant made a 3-pointer with 1:56 left.

Flagg made three of four free throws — and Duke made 9 of 10 — to salt away the win down the stretch.

“They were a machine on offense,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said.

Duke shot 60% from the floor and 57.9% from 3 to close out a defense-optional night at the Prudential Center in which both winners hit triple digits.

The fourth-seeded Wildcats sagged and hung on the 6-foot-9 freshman and made him work for everything. But he was just better than everyone on the court.

There were too many highlights to count. Here were a few:

— At the end of the first half, when Duke rebounded Love’s missed 3, worked the ball to Flagg and he swished his own 3, then turned around and screamed “Let’s go, man!” as he ran to the locker room with a 48-42 lead.

— A spinning, no-look pass to Sion James, who made an open 3 early in the second half, as part of a run that built the lead to 19.

— Two alley-oops, one a no-look to Khaman Maluach, the other to Kon Knueppel.

— A massive rejection of Arizona guard KJ Lewis into the phalanx of Arizona cheerleaders on a possession that could’ve trimmed the deficit to seven with about five minutes left.

It was a show that brought a close to Love’s vibrant college career — one he wasn’t willing to see end without a fight. He missed his first three shots but finished 11 for 21 and made five 3s to keep his team in it.

“He’s had an amazing career and I’m so excited for his future,” Lloyd said. “He was tremendous today. He’s going to wake up tomorrow and he’s going to smile. He has a lot to look forward to and so I’m really, really proud of him.”

Love scored seven more than he did when he shut down Coach K’s career.

In this one, he got the most help from Jaden Bradley, who finished with 15 points. But the Wildcats couldn’t do enough to conjure a repeat of 2011, the last time these programs met in the tournament and Arizona knocked out the top-seeded Blue Devils.
Brown back for Duke

Maliq Brown returned to action for the Blue Devils after sitting out two weeks with an injured shoulder.

Sporting a sleeve on his left shoulder and upper arm, the junior came into the game with 7:51 left in the first half. He played four minutes and finished with a rebound and an assist.
Arizona gets recruiting win

Arizona did get a big win earlier Thursday, when one of the nation’s top high school prospects, Koa Peat, said on “The Pat McAfee Show” that he was committing to play for the Wildcats.

Peat is expected to join another top recruit, LeBron James’ son Bryce, in coach Tommy Lloyd’s program next season.

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Darrion Williams could barely make a shot for the first 30 minutes. He didn’t miss when it mattered most, sending Texas Tech to an improbable spot in the Elite Eight.

Williams scored the go-ahead basket with 7.3 seconds left in overtime after tying the game with a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation to lead Texas Tech to an 85-83 win over Arkansas on Thursday night.

“The heart of the team is Darrion Williams,” coach Grant McCasland said. “He just is a resilient guy. I can’t even explain it. I put faith in him because I do believe that he’ll find a way in one-game scenarios to do whatever it takes to win. I honestly do. Whatever it takes.”

The first overtime game of March Madness came thanks to a furious comeback by the third-seeded Red Raiders (28-8) from 13 points down with less than 5 minutes left against coach John Calipari’s 10th-seeded Razorbacks (22-14).

Texas Tech advanced to play top-seeded Florida in the West Region final on Saturday with a chance at the school’s second Final Four trip after losing the title game to Virginia in 2019.

That idea seemed far-fetched for most of this game as Arkansas broke out to a double-digit lead early and was in control most of the way, leading by as many as 16 points in the second half.

“In the huddle, Coach said we’re going to find a way to win this no matter how much we’re down,” guard Christian Anderson said. “As a team we had that look, we’re not losing this game no matter what. … We had to find a way to make it happen. And at the end we did, so that was it.”

Williams helped will the Red Raiders down the stretch after opening the game by missing 13 of his 15 shots in front of a large contingent of his friends and family that came from Sacramento for the game.

But the Red Raiders closed regulation with a 16-3 run behind three 3-pointers from Anderson and three baskets from Williams. The biggest came when he rattled in a 3 with 9.7 seconds left after Jonas Aidoo had missed the front end of a one-and-one.

Williams had missed eight of his first nine attempts from 3 before that make.

“Obviously they weren’t going in, but I was shooting open ones”, Williams said. “They’ll fall.”

JT Toppin then scored to start overtime and give Texas Tech its first lead since the opening minutes and it went back and forth from there, with D.J. Wagner tying it for Arkansas with 34 seconds left.

Williams then scored down low to give Texas Tech the lead and Wagner’s last shot hit the front rim, sending the Red Raiders into a wild celebration at midcourt as Williams pointed to the crowd following the second biggest comeback in Sweet 16 history.

Calipari could only walk off the court with pursed lips and a sigh as his first season at Arkansas ended in heartbreak after he fell just short of being the first coach to take four schools to the Elite Eight.

“We’re all disappointed here,” Calipari said. “But I told them, there’s nothing them individually or my team could do to disappoint me because of what they’ve done this year. I’m so proud of them.”

Anderson scored 22 points to lead Texas Tech, while Toppin and Williams added 20 apiece.

Johnell Davis scored 30 points for the Razorbacks and Karter Knox added 20.
No Chance

The Red Raiders were missing a key player once again with top outside shooter Chance McMillian missing his fourth straight game with an oblique injury. McMillian, who grew up in San Francisco, had been hoping to play in his homecoming game but was ruled out before tipoff.

Arkansas got forward Adou Thiero back for the first time since he injured his left knee on Feb. 22. Thiero played five minutes.

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