San Francisco – Florida's three standout seniors and its deep bench kept bringing energy until it became too tough for Maryland's “Crab Five” to keep up.

Coach Todd Golden could see his Gators wearing the Terrapins down.

Will Richard scored 15 points, Alijah Martin added 14 points and seven rebounds, and No. 1 seed Florida played a steady second half to run away from fourth-seeded Maryland and into the NCAA Tournament's West Region final with an 87-71 win Thursday night.

Walter Clayton Jr. contributed 13 points and four assists as Florida's senior leaders and their deep supporting cast took down Maryland's hardworking starters – one of Terrapins coach Kevin Willard's concerns coming into this matchup.

“We come in with great energy," said Florida reserve Denzel Aberdeen, who scored 12 points in 19 minutes. “Just everybody being ready, whoever’s name is called, I think that’s what we did.”

Freshman sensation Derik Queen scored 27 points to lead Maryland (27-9) in what might have been Willard’s final game guiding the program.

“I think their bench really wore us down,” Willard said.

Florida (33-4) advances to play Saturday against third-seeded Texas Tech, which rallied past Arkansas in overtime in Thursday's late game at Chase Center.

The Gators, in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017 and seeking the program's first Final Four berth since 2014, committed 13 of their 17 turnovers in the first half but took better care of the ball over the final 20 minutes. Florida already eliminated two-time defending NCAA champion UConn in the second round and is 10-1 in regional semifinals.

"The message was simple: We have to take care of the ball," Golden, the Gators' third-year coach, said.

The “Crab Five” – featuring WNBA star Angel Reese’s brother Julian, who had his sister in the stands to cheer – roared back in the first half when it seemed Florida might pull away. Queen, who hit a buzzer-beater in a 72-71 victory Sunday over Colorado State in the second round, shot 8 for 17 and made all 10 of his free throws.

Clayton, Martin and Richard combined for 42 points and three others scored in double figures for Florida. The senior trio had scored 56 of the Gators’ 77 points in the two-point victory against UConn last Sunday. That sent coach Golden back to the Bay Area, where he played for Saint Mary’s and coached at the University of San Francisco before taking the Florida job.

More West

▶ Texas Tech 85, Arkansas 83 (OT): Darrion Williams scored the tiebreaking 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.

The first overtime game of this March Madness came thanks to a furious comeback by the third-seeded Red Raiders (28-8) from 16 points down midway through the second half against coach John Calipari's 10th-seeded Razorbacks (22-14).

East

▶ Duke 100, Arizona 93: Duke star Cooper Flagg put on a skills clinic and overcame an onslaught from Arizona and Caleb Love, finishing with 30 points, six rebounds, seven assists and three blocks.

Flagg, long over the balky ankle that sidelined him earlier this month, did enough to prevent Love, a thorn in Duke's side for five years, from ruining another Blue Devils season.

Love finished with 35 points, one short of his career high, including a streak of 12 straight for his Wildcats (24-13) during a ferocious second-half run that cut a 19-point deficit to as little as five with 1:56 left.

But it's the top-seeded Blue Devils (34-3) moving to the Elite Eight for the second straight season. On Saturday comes a 1-vs.-2 showdown in the East Region, when coach Jon Scheyer’s team faces Alabama, which set a March Madness record for 3-pointers in a 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.

▶ Alabama 113, BYU 88: 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.

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 1990. Sears, a first-team All-America guard, hit the record-breaking 22nd 3 late in the game to make it 97-66. He 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 either Duke or Arizona for a shot at the Final Four.

Richie Saunders scored 25 points to lead 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 a memorable 149-115 second-round win over Michigan.

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 sixth-seeded BYU (24-9), 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.

Sweet 16

At Newark, N.J.

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