Scouting Maryland: Gators Set To Play Terrapins In Sweet 16

The four seed Maryland Terrapins and the top seed Florida Gators prepare to face off in the Sweet 16 after two close wins in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. While the No. 3-ranked Gators (32-4) took down the reigning two-time champion UConn Huskies on Sunday, the No. 11 Terrapins (27-8) were in a battle of their own against Colorado State later Sunday.

Tournament Win Recap

Coming off an impressive 81-49 victory against Grand Canyon University after losing to Michigan by just one point in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal, the Terrapins faced off against the Colorado State Rams in the round of 32. With only six seconds remaining in the game, Colorado State guard Jalen Lake made a 3-pointer to put the Rams up 71-70. Maryland center Derik Queen, a 6-foot-10 freshman from Baltimore, then banked in a last-second shot 72-71 to send the Terps forward to the Sweet 16 and send the Rams home. The Terrapins reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016.

It was a familiar feeling for the Terps, whose last four losses this season all came on the final possession.

https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessMBB/status/1903980555168874525

Stat Leaders and Offensive Performances

Queen leads the Terrapins in both points per game and rebounds per game, averaging 16.2 points and 9.1 rebounds. The Terrapins are averaging a collective 81.7 points per game alongside 36.7 rebounds and 14.7 assists.

HOW SWEET IT IS!

— Maryland Men’s Basketball (@TerrapinHoops) March 24, 2025

Up Next

Maryland finished second in the Big Ten with a conference record of 14-6. After losing such a close game to the Michigan Wolverines, who would then go on to win the Big Ten championship, the Terrapins have proven that they can play at a high level and make high-level plays.

With the Gators riding the high of defeating the back-to-back champions, both teams are  hungry and looking to advance to the Elite 8 when they play Thursday. Tip-off is set for 7:39 p.m. ET (TBS, 103.7-FM) in the West Region semifinals in San Francisco at the Chase Center, home of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.

The Terps-Gators winner will play the winner of the night’s (10:09 p.m.) other third-round game between 10 seed Arkansas (22-13) and three seed Texas Tech (27-8). The Red Raiders are ranked No. 9 in the latest Associated Press poll. The Elite 8 game is set for Saturday, with the winner then advancing to the Final Four.