"I had to make it" ... Derik Queen's buzzer-beater gives Maryland basketball 72-71 win sends Terps to Sweet 16
Thanks to freshman star Derik Queen's heroics, Maryland is in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016.
It looked like it was happening again. After Jalen Lake's rainbow three gave Colorado State a one-point lead with six seconds remaining, Maryland's season was on the brink of ending – to yet another miraculous game-winning shot.
But then a 20-year freshman from Baltimore who'd never hit a game-winner told his coach to "give me the MF ball. Derik Queen caught the ball and drove left, taking a jump shot while fading out of bounds. A near impossible shot, but this time the fortunes turned Maryland's way.
Queen's buzzer-beater beat No. 12 seeded Colorado State 72-71 and secured the Terps' first Sweet Sixteen berth in a decade. No. 4 seed Maryland will play No. 1 seed Florida on Thursday in San Francisco.
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"I felt bad that they had to go that way, but I felt maybe we were due for one of those to go for us," Queen said.
Everybody will remember Queen's final shot. In a tournament usually filled with phenomenal finishes and maddening endings, the freshman's shot is one of the best in recent memory.
Except it almost didn't happen. Colorado State led for a majority of the game and Maryland didn't score a field goal prior to Queen's shot in the final two minutes of action. The Rams outshot, outrebounded and scored more points in the paint than the Terps.
But resolve has been a key theme of Maryland's season. Its lost consecutive games once this season and has won four games between each loss since Jan. 16. Multiple buzzer-beaters didn't deter it from finishing the season strong.
Sunday was the ultimate epitome of that resilience. Maryland's guards combined for nine points on 4-18 shooting in the first half. The Terps were dominated on the offensive glass and went on a seven-plus minute scoring drought.
Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Rodney Rice and Selton Miguel all didn't play well in the first half. The second period was a different story. Rice went on a personal 6-0 and 5-0 run and Miguel hit a pair of deep threes that seemed to energize the Terps' bench.
"Even when I miss shots, I'm still going to shoot the ball, I'm still going to be myself and be aggressive," Rice said.
Julian Reese, a player who shot 56.8% from the free throw line last season, stepped to the foul line in a tied game with 22 seconds left. He calmly drained both of them.
"When I was at the line, I was excited because this is what I work for," Reese said.
Willard, whose end of game coaching has been criticized in the past, drew up the mid-post isolation for Queen with his team's season on the line. He switched to a zone defense that seemed to frustrate Colorado State's offense.
Finally, Queen battled through a poor second half performance to hit the final shot. His last basket in the second half came with 17:14 remaining in the period and was embroiled in an argument with a referee midway through the half.
None of it mattered. Maryland's showed its mettle all season, and each player demonstrated that in the round of 32. Now, the Terps made their second Sweet Sixteen in 25 years.
"These guys have bounced back every time we've had a buzzer beater… Have shown such character in how they bounce back," Willard said. "For the first time we had time left, it's our time to make our moment."
March Madness coined phrase is "survive and advance" for a reason. It is extremely difficult to win six consecutive games playing perfectly. Most groups are bound for a poor showing along the road. The best teams win without their top performances. This wasn't a pretty win for the Terps, as the defensive rebounding issues, lack of bench scoring and struggles guarding opposing team's top players popped up again.
Queen's heroics and Maryland's resolve saved an early exit. For a team filled with players who haven't played in the NCAA tournament, Sunday was a strong reminder of the thin line between your season ending and advancing. The Terps continue to demonstrate that they will be a tough out in March. And a big reason for it is the baby-faced freshman got his 'One Shining Moment'.
"I had to make it," Queen said.
