PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Johnell Davis stepped to the free-throw line with 10.4 seconds remaining.

He's been in this position before. He's won in this position before. He's thrived in this position before.

A typically stoic player with a poker face to hide any hints of nerves or pressure, Davis went through his typical routine -- deep breath, look up, dribble, release.

Two shots. Two makes.

Ballgame.

The 10th-seeded University of Arkansas men's basketball team, on Thursday night at Amica Mutual Pavilion, relied on experienced players in its 79-72 win over seventh-seeded Kansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament -- particularly on those with deep postseason experience.

The Razorbacks will face the winner of second-seeded St. John's and 15th-seeded Omaha in the second round Saturday.

"We believed in the moment," Davis said. "Coach (John Calipari) pushed us, even when we were down and he helped us get through everything."

Davis, who advanced to the 2023 Final Four with Florida Atlantic, finished with 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 assist.

Jonas Aidoo also had himself a night.

The transfer big man was part of Tennessee's Elite Eight run last season. He finished with a season-high 22 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks and 1 assist. He put back a dunk off his own miss in the first half and was a force in the paint on both ends.

While still a Volunteer, Aidoo matched up against Jayhawks big Hunter Dickinson last season. Dickinson tallied 17 points and 20 rebounds in a 69-60 win over Aidoo and Tennessee.

On Thursday, Aidoo and the Razorbacks limited Dickinson to an inefficient 11 points and 9 rebounds.

Aidoo dominated him on both ends.

"I knew it was going to be a big matchup from the jump," Aidoo said. "I know how to take that one personal, so (I) definitely had to help the team out, for sure."

Calipari and Kansas Coach Bill Self have battled in the past. Calipari took a 7-6 head-to-head lead over his longtime friend Thursday.

The Razorbacks and Jayhawks both lined up with NCAA Tournament experience. The Jayhawks' KJ Adams and Dajuan Harris Jr. won the 2022 national title, while Dickinson came in with a bevy of March experience between Kansas and Michigan.

It was a hotly contested game, with 10 lead changes and neither side leading by more than 11 points -- "I thought it was a good basketball game if you're a fan," Self said.

In the end, Arkansas' elderly won the day and handed Kansas its first opening-round defeat since 2006.

"We have to rely on everyone. When you're down in numbers, everyone's got to help you," Calipari said. "That's where we are. Again, the second half, we didn't shoot it well. We didn't make threes, but we made the ones that mattered and we made free throws."

For all of the combined efforts that led to the Razorbacks' win -- Boogie Fland contributing to huge stops in his first game since Jan. 18, D.J. Wagner having a resurgent performance in his second March Madness game, Trevon Brazile having a double-double in his NCAA Tournament debut -- experience wins in March.

That has been an emphasis and was acknowledged by all in the locker room celebrations.

"They're obviously our veterans, so to have them out there with a lot of experience is great," Brazile said. "I'm proud of both."

Arkansas -- and any team in the NCAA Tournament -- needs players to step up at this point of the season. Aidoo and Davis, who have seen their usage increase and minutes go up, have delivered.

"They're leading the way," Fland said. "They trust us; we trust them. ... We believe in them big time and they're showing up."

The Razorbacks, with their win, keep the first year of the Calipari era alive.

The simple plays -- free throws, rebounds, putbacks -- led Arkansas to a win over Kansas. Davis and Aidoo led the Razorbacks in those departments.

"We learned some stuff today, didn't we, boys?" Calipari said. "I told them after, there's stuff going forward. That's good for us. This was a good one. That was an NCAA Tournament game, two teams battling it out, making shots, making plays and we got away from them at the very end."