By Ben Tredinnick
Photo Credit: Mackenzie Miles/Maryland Terrapins
The Rams had already shocked the tournament by defeating the Memphis Tigers in the first round and were looking to replicate that performance against the Terrapins.
Going into halftime, this seemed likely, as Colorado State held a seven-point lead.
However, the Terrapins improved in the second half, bringing themselves back into the game. The upset was still in the picture, with Jalen Lake scoring a three-pointer to give the Rams a one-point lead in the final six seconds.
Maryland had possession in those final moments and moved down the court, finding Derik Queen. He made a layup as time ran out to seal the win for the Terrapins.
This was one of the hardest ways to lose for the Rams, a game in which they were the better team for most of the time. They made 29 out of 62 field goal attempts and were generally accurate on free throws (80%).
However, their inability to score three-pointers let them down, and this could be seen as the main reason they lost. Colorado State only made 5 out of 21 three-pointers, while Maryland made twice as many.
Rams guard Nique Clifford had the best performance for the team, scoring 21 points and setting up Lake’s three-pointer to keep the team in the game in the final seconds.
However, starter Rashann Mbemba had a poor day, recording only two points, and Ethan Morton, who came off the bench to play 22 minutes, was equally underwhelming.
While the Rams were inconsistent, every member of the Terrapins’ starting lineup contributed a solid performance.
Derik Queen led the team with 17 points, closely followed by Rodney Rice with 16 points.
In the end, consistency (and a bit of luck) was enough to prevent the upset. With Colorado State now out, the tournament has lost its last remaining Cinderella story.
While some might consider the 10-seeded Arkansas team a Cinderella-esque squad due to their seeding, others would reject this notion because of the program’s SEC affiliation (hardly a small conference) and the fact that they are coached by legendary coach John Calipari.
Maryland now faces the Florida Gators in the Sweet Sixteen on Thursday night.
Ben Tredinnick is a contributor to The MMM Journal. He can be reached at bmtredinnick@thefourthquartile.com.
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