No. 8-seed Maryland men’s basketball survives No. 9-seed West Virginia, 67-65, advances to round of 32

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — It began and ended with Jahmir Younger free throws.

Maryland hadn’t scored in seven minutes and 39 seconds. It trailed by 12 within the first half when Jahmir Younger pressured his approach to the rim and earned himself a pair of photographs from the road. He drained each, spurring a gutsy comeback.

With simply 4.7 seconds left to play, Younger was fouled as soon as extra, this time along with his workforce main and an opportunity to increase its result in three. The primary one — swish. The second — no such luck.

West Virginia grabbed the rebound and raced down the court docket. A two would tie it and a 3 would win it.

The ball went into the blazing-hot palms of Kedrian Johnson. The fifth-year guard snatched the ball, took two steps past half-court and let it fly for the win. It hung within the air for an eternity, crusing towards the ring with the potential to each transfer the Mountaineers on and ship the Terps house packing.

Johnson had already scored 17 factors within the second half. He was the man West Virginia needed the ball within the palms of. However his shot was quick. Maryland survived and superior, the mantra of the NCAA Match.

Eighth-seeded Maryland defeated ninth-seeded West Virginia, 67-65, on Thursday, transferring on to the NCAA Match’s spherical of 32.

Taking part in within the first recreation of the primary spherical of the NCAA Match is a privilege and a curse. Tv units across the nation all concurrently tune into the identical recreation, able to kick off one of the action-packed days of the American sports activities calendar.

Earlier than 9 minutes had elapsed, they had been tuned out. It was ugly.

In its first eight possessions, Maryland had turned the ball over 5 instances. It trailed 16-4 and hadn’t made a shot in what felt like endlessly — the field-goal drought lasted eight minutes and 28 seconds, to be precise. West Virginia had scored the final 14 factors.

Due to the turnovers, Maryland couldn’t get photographs up, not to mention rating. When Julian Reese hit a floater to finish the field-goal-less interval, it was the Terps’ eighth shot of the primary half. West Virginia had taken 16.

With made photographs comes the power to press, and with that comes disruption. Maryland kicked its full-court strain into gear as soon as the photographs beginning falling and a recreation that was teetering on the sting of working away grew to become an entire lot extra fascinating.

A swap flipped. Maryland exploded on a 16-2 run. It drained 5 of six photographs, capped off by a Jahmir Younger three that thrust the Terps into the lead with simply over six minutes left within the half.

From there, the primary half went backwards and forwards. When the buzzer sounded, Maryland one way or the other, someway led 32-30.

When the second half began, West Virginia once more got here out sizzling, a lot hotter than the Terps.

There’s a well-liked expression amongst school basketball followers that guards win in March. It’s even higher to have skilled guards. On Thursday, West Virginia had one of the best of each worlds with Johnson.

He bullied his approach to the rim and transformed on a layup whereas being fouled. The following possession — similar factor. Subsequent time up the court docket it was a four-point play after draining a 3 with contact. Johnson went on a 10-0 run all by himself to spark the Mountaineers and balloon their result in as a lot as 9.

However the Terps refused to stop as soon as extra, forcing themselves again on prime regardless of lacking Younger, who sat on the bench after choosing up his fourth foul of the sport for an prolonged interval. When West Virginia ahead Jimmy Bell Jr. fouled out of the sport, Maryland made a concerted effort to feed the ball down low.

Due to West Virginia’s lack of inside presence, Reese started to take the sport over. He totaled a team-high 13 factors within the latter 20 minutes of the sport, additionally grabbing seven boards within the interval. He completed the sport main the Terps in each classes: 17 factors and 9 rebounds.

Foul hassle plagued each groups Thursday, and the calls piled up within the second half. They had been each within the bonus simply over halfway by the interval, and a grand complete of 38 free throws had been shot within the recreation.

4 Terps completed with not less than 10 factors: Reese, Younger (10) and the senior tandem of Donta Scott and Hakim Hart, who each offered precious minutes and made clutch performs down the stretch to assist carry their workforce to victory in a do-or-die state of affairs.

Three issues to know

1. No Younger, no drawback. Jahmir Younger severely struggled to create his common separation in opposition to West Virginia’s bodily guards. He made only one subject objective, scoring seven of his 10 factors on the free-throw line. He additionally needed to sit on the bench for some time when he picked up his fourth foul, with head coach Kevin Willard opting to place Jahari Lengthy within the recreation as an alternative.

2. The little issues. As is the case in shut video games, hustle performs had been the distinction down the stretch. The Terps battled for 50/50 balls within the waning minutes of the sport, most notably a giant rebound by Scott after his personal shot was off the mark with below 40 seconds on the clock.

3. What’s subsequent? Maryland will face the winner of the sport between No. 1-seed Alabama and No. 16-seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday with a visit to the Candy 16 on the road. The Crimson Tide are one of many favorites to win the nationwide title, so Willard and his employees will get to work scouting the match’s prime total seed to attempt to pull off the huge upset.