Oh, so close for WVU in early exit
In a seesaw affair, Terps victorious
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — In a game that began before lunchtime, Maryland sleepwalked through the first 10 minutes of its NCAA tournament opener.
Coach Kevin Willard wasn’t concerned.
He knew there was still time for a wake-up call.
Julian Reese and Maryland topped West Virginia, 67-65, on Thursday after Kedrian Johnson missed a final heave at the buzzer, sending the eighth-seeded Terrapins into the second round of the South Region.
Maryland (22-12) trailed by 12 early on, but West Virginia didn’t really take advantage of the Terrapins having more turnovers (six) than points (four).
“I look at everything in a positive way,” said Willard, in his first season at Maryland after leading Seton Hall to the Big Dance. “I figured if that’s the best they can do, we’re in pretty good shape.”
Johnson led all scorers with 27 points, only to have his potential winner glance off the rim as the horn sounded.
When the ball was in the air, Johnson thought he was about to become a March Madness hero.
“For sure,” he said. “Every shot I took today, I thought it had a chance to go in.”
Reese had 17 points and nine rebounds for Maryland.
The 8-9 matchup between Maryland and the Mountaineers (19-15) lived up to its down-to-the-wire billing. Maryland bounced back from the early 16-4 deficit to take a 32-30 lead at halftime. Neither team could break away in the final 20 minutes.
“It just shows our character,” said Hakim Hart, who had 15 points in Maryland’s balanced effort. “We’re going to keep fighting.”
A traveling call on Jahmir Young gave West Virginia a chance to tie it with a 3pointer. But the Mountaineers could not find anyone open beyond the arc, forcing Tre Mitchell to bank it in for two under the basket.
Young was fouled after the inbounds and made only one of two free throws. West Virginia got the ball in the hands of the guy it wanted, but Johnson came up short on the buzzerbeater.
“He was terrific, absolutely terrific,” WVU coach Bob Huggins said. “We wouldn’t have been able to stay in the game without him. That last shot, it looked like it grazed the front of the rim. He was an inch away from winning the game for us.”
Emotional ending
Erik Stevenson played at Wichita State, Washington and South Carolina before finally getting a crack at the NCAA tournament after transferring to West Virginia for his final season.
“It’s over,” Stevenson said, breaking down in tears. “I don’t know what else to say.”