They danced in the locker room. They took just 20 shots in the first half thanks to lackluster work on the offensive boards.
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“After that 12-minute media timeout, we just like a happy team”.
When Trimble attempts double-digit free throws, Maryland is 12-3 over the past two seasons. But a sudden and massive 14-point run over a two-minute stretch in the middle of the second half catapulted them ahead, and they stormed to the finish to put away the 12th-seeded Rainbow Warriors. “I’m always due for one”, Trimble said. “Everybody on the islands celebrated for us”. After opening the game shooting 1-of-9 from the floor and falling behind 13-6, Maryland made its next seven shots and at the half led 28-27.
“I just tried to channel my inner Steph Curry”, Koenig said, referring to the reigning NBA MVP.
Impressive at times and sloppy at others here in the opening two rounds of the NCAA tournament, Maryland held off South Dakota State 79-74 and against Hawaii looked equally erratic.
The reason why, local bars have been busier during Maryland games, a trend that’s expected to increase the further the Terps go in the tournament.
Layman said the talk about Maryland not reaching the Sweet 16 since 2003 had never really been a topic of discussion among the players.
“It was frustrating. I air balled one. I think [Sunday night] we showed a toughness than we hadn’t shown all year”. “We’re getting closer to that”. We don’t think about past teams.
Shutting down Big West Player of the Year Stefan Jankovic won the game for Maryland, holding the versatile big man to 14 points on 17 shot attempts, mostly when guarded by Diamond Stone and Carter. Hawaii jumped out to an early start against the Terps, driving to the basket for its first three buckets. Maryland hit just 1-of-18 (5.6 percent) from 3-point range.
“I told the guys before the tournament started, I said, we’re going to have a game where we can’t make a shot, and we got to defend”, Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said.
Maryland will take on No. 1 Kansas in the Sweet 16 in Louisville, Ky., on Friday. “We’ve got a quick turnaround to play on Thursday night, but we’re excited to be in the game”. “[Some teams] don’t want to play us”. They have been ranked nationally in the top-10 for the majority of the season. Although Kansas routed CT yesterday, if the Terps are able to make their jump shots they will have a good shot at upsetting the talented Jayhawks squad.
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Former Kansas guard Mark Turgeon, who played at KU from 1983 to 1987 and worked on Larry Brown’s staff in 1988, when the Jayhawks won the national championship, is in his fifth season leading the Maryland program.
