McMillian's 2 free throws in OT send No. 22 Texas Tech past No. 6 Houston 82-81

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McMillian's 2 free throws in OT send No. 22 Texas Tech past No. 6 Houston 82-81

2025-02-02 10:19 Last Updated At：10:30

HOUSTON (AP) — Chance McMillian had 23 points including two free throws with 16 seconds left in overtime as No. 22 Texas Tech won its sixth straight, 82-81 over No. 6 Houston on Saturday night.

Elijah Hawkins scored 17 points and Kerwin Walton added 14 points for Texas Tech (17-4, 8-2 Big 12).

L.J. Cryer scored 22 points, Roberts added 18 points and Milos Uzan had 10 points for Houston (17-4, 9-1), which had won 13 in a row and suffered its first loss at home since Jan. 22, 2023, against Temple, a 33-game streak.

Darrion Williams hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 72 with 30 seconds left in regulation. Houston’s J’Wan Roberts took a shot at the buzzer but it was blocked by Federiko Federiko.

Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland was ejected with 16:10 remaining in the first half with two straight technical fouls after arguing a flagrant 2 call on JT Toppin. Toppin appeared to kick Houston’s Joseph Tugler in the midsection on a jump pass.

After review, Toppin was issued a flagrant 2, and McCasland began arguing the call and had to be held back from the officials several times while he was being escorted off the court.

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders improved to 4-2 in Quad 1 games and stayed in the Big 12 race, moving a game in the loss column behind Arizona and Houston.

Houston: The Cougars dropped to 3-4 in Quad 1 games. Houston had its 18-game Big 12 winning streak snapped.

After McMillian made his free throws, Roberts was called for a travel on the other end with 1.5 seconds left. Roberts stole the inbounds, but his halfcourt heave missed.

Texas Tech was 24 of 34 on free throws, and Houston was 18 of 27.

Houston hosts Oklahoma State on Tuesday night and Texas Tech hosts Baylor the same day.

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House Republicans unveil bill to avoid shutdown and they're daring Democrats to oppose it

2025-03-09 09:06 Last Updated At：09:11

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans unveiled a spending bill Saturday that would keep federal agencies funded through Sept. 30, pushing ahead with a go-it-alone strategy that seems certain to spark a major confrontation with Democrats over the contours of government spending.

The 99-page bill would provide a slight boost to defense programs while trimming nondefense programs below 2024 budget year levels. That approach is likely to be a nonstarter for most Democrats who have long insisted that defense and nondefense spending move in the same direction.

Congress must act by midnight Friday to avoid a partial government shutdown.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is teeing up the bill for a vote on Tuesday despite the lack of buy-in from Democrats, essentially daring them to vote against it and risk a shutdown. He also is betting that Republicans can muscle the legislation through the House largely by themselves.

Normally, when it comes to keeping the government fully open for business, Republicans have had to work with Democrats to craft a bipartisan measure that both sides can support. That's because Republicans almost always lack the votes to pass spending bills on their own.

Crucially, the strategy has the backing of President Donald Trump, who has shown an ability so far in his term to hold Republicans in line.

Trump praised the bill, posting on his Truth Social platform that Republicans have to “remain UNITED — NO DISSENT — Fight for another day when the timing is right.”

“Great things are coming for America, and I am asking you all to give us a few months to get us through to September so we can continue to put the Country's ‘financial house’ in order," he said.

House Republicans' leadership staff outlined the contours of the measure, saying it would allow for about $892.5 billion in defense spending and about $708 billion in nondefense spending. The defense spending is slightly above the prior year's level, but the nondefense spending, the aides said, was about $13 billion below last year.

The measure also will not include funding requested by individual lawmakers for thousands of community projects around the country, often referred to as earmarks.

But Republicans noted that it would provide for the largest pay increase to junior enlisted servicemembers in more than 40 years, and it included an additional $500 million for a nutritional assistance program for women, infants and young children.

The bill does not cover the majority of government spending, including Social Security and Medicare. Funding for those two programs is on auto pilot and not regularly reviewed by Congress. Still, Democratic leadership issued a statement Saturday saying they were troubled the bill doesn't take steps to protect those programs and Medicaid, which Republicans are eying to help pay for extending tax cuts passed in Trump's first term.

“We are voting no,” said a trio of House Democratic leaders, including Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.

The top Democrats on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Washington Sen. Patty Murray, both issued statements blasting the legislation.

Murray said the legislation would “give Donald Trump and Elon Musk more power over federal spending — and more power to pick winners and losers, which threatens families in blue and red states alike.”

Maine Sen. Susan Collins, who heads the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the focus must be on preventing a shutdown because closures have negative consequences all across government.

“They require certain essential government employees, such as Border Patrol agents, members of our military and Coast Guard, TSA screeners, and air traffic controllers, to report to work with no certainty on when they will receive their next paycheck,” Collins said. "We cannot allow that to occur.”

Trump's request for unity appears to be having an effect. Some conservatives who almost never vote for continuing resolutions expressed much openness to one last week.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., says he has never voted for a continuing resolution, what lawmakers often call a CR, but he is on board with Johnson's effort. He says he has confidence in Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, to make a difference on the nation's debt.

“I don't like CRs,” Norman said. “But what's the alternative? Negotiate with Democrats? No.”

"I freeze spending for six months to go identify more cuts? Somebody tell me how that’s not a win in Washington,” added Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas.

Republicans are also hoping that resolving this year's spending will allow them to devote their full attention to extending Trump's tax cuts and raising the nation's debt limit to avoid a catastrophic federal default.

Democratic leaders are warning that the decision to move ahead without consulting them increases the prospects for a shutdown. One of their biggest concerns is the flexibility the legislation would give the Trump administration on spending.

The Democratic leadership in both chambers has stressed that Republicans have the majority and are responsible for funding the government. But leaders also have been wary of saying how Democrats would vote on a continuing resolution.

“We have to wait to see what their plan is,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York. “We've always believed the only solution is a bipartisan solution, no matter what.”

Trump has been meeting with House Republicans in an effort to win their votes on the legislation. Republicans have a 218-214 majority in the House, so if all lawmakers vote, they can afford only one defection if Democrats unite in opposition. The math gets even harder in the Senate, where at least seven Democrats would have to vote for the legislation to overcome a filibuster. And that's assuming all 53 Republicans vote for it.