Fourth-seeded Maryland rallied from a 16-point deficit in Sunday's second-round NCAA Tournament game, but that only led to heartbreak when
Korie Lucious hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give No. 5 seed Michigan State an 85-83 victory and send them to the Sweet Sixteen.
It was the final game for three seniors who have meant so much to head coach Gary Williams and the Terps program.
Greivis Vasquez, Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne played their final game for Maryland, but left an indelible mark on the basketball program. They led the team to an 89-47 record over the last four seasons, three NCAA Tournament appearances and countless memorable wins.
Despite the loss of the team's top three scorers, the Terps should be in good shape next season with five players back who averaged at least 14 minutes of action and the addition of another top-ranked recruiting class.
Raymar Morgan scored 13 points and Durrell Summers added 12 for Michigan State which leads the Terps 48-39 in the first half of today's NCAA second-round game in Spokane.
The Spartans have controlled the glass and been on fire from the field.
Michigan State outrebounded the Terps, 25-11, and shot 56 percent from the floor.
The Terrapins did force nine Spartan turnovers, but have only outscored MSU 8-6 on miscues.
Eric Hayes, who scored a team-high 10 points, gave the Terps their only lead of the half (7-6) on a 3-pointer a little over two minutes into the game.
Michigan State has led by as many as 12, though Maryland closed to within 32-29 on a Greivis Vasquez layup with 6:20 to go.
But Michigan State scored eight of the final 12 points of the half.
Vasquez is halfway to a double-double with 9 points and 5 assists.
Jordan Williams, who had a first-round best 17 rebounds, posted 7 points and 4 rebounds.
Michigan State may have lost its best player as guard Kalin Lucas left the game late in the first half with an apparent foot injury.
The Terps got a hearty sendoff from the Davenport Hotel Sunday morning.
About 100 fans, along with the band and cheerleaders, created quite a buzz outside the hotel around 9 a.m. local time as the Terps boarded the buzz for the short trip to Spokane Arena.
After winning its 10th straight NCAA first-round game, Maryland looks to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the 14th time in school history, including the eighth appearance under head coach Gary William, in Sunday's matchup with Michigan State.
Sunday's second-round game between Maryland, the No. 4 seed, and fifth-seeded Michigan State will tip-off at 2:30 p.m. ET from Veterans Memorial Arena (Note: Tip time was originally set for 2:40 p.m. but adjusted this afternoon).
The Terps (24-8) and Spartans (25-8) have faced each other four times, including once in the NCAA Tournament.
Maryland has won the last two meetings, downing the fifth-ranked Spartans, 80-62, in last season's Old Spice Classic in Orlando (11-27-08). The Terps also defeated Michigan State, 62-60, on Nov. 17, 2006 in the CBE Classic in Kansas City, Mo.
The Spartans did, however, win the only meeting in the NCAA Tournament.
No. 7 seed Michigan State upended sixth-seeded Maryland, 60-58, in a 2003 South Regional semifinal game (March 28).
The Terps will practice on Saturday at the arena and visit with the media.
Selected players will visit with the media at 3:55 p.m. PT, with Gary Williams to follow at 4:15 p.m.
Maryland is scheduled to have a closed practice following the interviews.
Tip time for Sunday's second-round NCAA game in Spokane has been announced. Should the fourth-seeded Terrapins defeat 13th-seeded Houston tonight, they will face No. 5 Michigan State at 11:40 a.m. PT.
The Purdue-Texas A&M game will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
After trailing by as many as five, the Terps used a late 13-4 run in the first to take a 39-37 halftime lead over Houston.
Adrian Bowie started the flurry with a 3-pointer and Jordan Williams, who has been force inside (10 points/10 rebounds), added a pair of buckets.
The Cougars did score eight of the final 10 points of the half to cut into Maryland's 37-29 lead, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Adam Brown.
Jordan Williams has already posted his seventh double-double of the season.
Aubrey Coleman showed why is the leading scorer in the NCAA (25.6 ppg). He had 16 points
in the first half and could have had more had the senior not missed 3 of 6
free throws.
After not reaching double figures in six straight games, Landon Milbourne has hit twin figures in each of the last two contests. He had 10 in the first half on 4 of 9 shooting.The senior also chipped in five rebounds.
The Terps have dominated on the glass, holding a 26-16 rebound advantage. But Houston has yet to turn the ball over. Maryland registered four turnovers in the first 4:00 of the half, but just one the rest of the way.
Maryland hit 8 of its last 11 shots and is shooting 48.6 percent at the break.
Maryland is 19-0 this season when leading at the half.
The Terps will officially have the final contest of the first round.
The Maryland-Houston game was scheduled to start at 9:40 p.m. ET, but with the Michigan State-New Mexico State game still in progress, we're looking at roughly a 10:30 p.m. tip on the East Coast.
The Terps-Cougars will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the current game.
The first-round NCAA game between the fourth-seeded Terps and 13th-seeded Houston Cougars is scheduled to get underway at 6:40 p.m. PT Friday, though actual tip time depends on the conclusion of the Michigan State-New Mexico State game.
The team is scheduled to leave the Davenport Hotel at 4:45 p.m. local time for Veterans Memorial Arena.
The band and cheerleaders will be outside the hotel beginning at 4:15 p.m. to send the team off.
Any Terp fans in town are encouraged to join the festivities. The hotel is located on the corner of Sprague Ave. and Post St.
It was a busy day for the Terrapin basketball team.
As it did Wednesday, Maryland practiced at Gonzaga's McCarthey Athletic Center which is located just 10 minutes from the team hotel.
The team went through about a 90-minute workout before it traveled to Veterans Memorial Arena for Thursday's media availability.
Seniors Eric Hayes, Landon Milbourne and Greivis Vasquez were on the dais first followed by Gary Williams. All the players were available in the locker room for about 30 minutes.
Head coach Gary Williams and the players will visit with the media this afternoon.
All eight teams at the Spokane site are available for interviews on Thursday. Siena was the first team available to the media, with the session beginning at 11:20 a.m. PT.
Three Maryland players will be available at 4:30 p.m. PT in the interview room at Veterans Memorial Arena. Williams follows at 4:45 p.m.
Houston is the final team of the day, with head coach Tom Penders available at 6:15 p.m.
Unfortunately, the news conferences are not available over the internet, but ESPNEWS and ESPNU have been showing a number of them live over the last two days.
An
annual report by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central
Florida measured graduation rates of the 65 teams in this year's NCAA Men's
Basketball Tournament. The figures used are graduation success rate numbers and
are based on freshmen who entered college between 1999-2000 and 2002-03.
Despite
the GSR in men's basketball of eight percent, the recent profile at Maryland is
significantly improved over the outdated graduation rates. Eleven of the 12
freshmen and transfers measurable by the GSR in that window left the University
prior to graduating to pursue professional basketball careers. One of the
players who left early to play professionally returned to graduate from
Maryland, but outside the NCAA's six-year window.
Eight
of our last 10 seniors have earned their degrees, and all four seniors in this year's
class are expected to graduate this spring.
The
significant resources that the Athletics Department have placed in academic
support are paying dividends and are a great investment in the future of our
student-athletes.
The Maryland men's basketball team left campus at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday for Spokane, Wash., where the Terrapins will open play in the 2010 NCAA Tournament beginning Friday.
Maryland fans back on the East Coast will need to rest up Thursday night as the Terps will play in one of the last first-round games. Tip time vs. Houston is not until 9:40 p.m. ET.
There are approximately 75 people in the travel party, which includes players, coaches, administrative staff, cheerleaders and the band.
Travel went relatively smoothly. The Miami Air charter took off at 6:40 p.m. ET from BWI and landed around 8:15 p.m. local time at Spokane International Airport.
The team is staying at the Davenport Hotel which is located downtown and close to the Veterans Memorial Arena. Upon arrival the team and travel party had dinner and relaxed.
The team will try to get over the jetlag with a spirited practice Wednesday afternoon.
That practice is closed, but the team will have an open practice at 5:10 p.m. PT Thursday in Veterans Memorial Arena. That comes after right head coach Gary Williams and the players visit with the media.
Check back on the blog for entries over the next few days.
