LSU Prevails and Advances to Sweet 16 Despite Ferocious Comeback Attempt From Maryland
No. 6 Maryland and No. 3 LSU put on a show to open the second round of the NCAA tournament Saturday afternoon with the Tigers barely escaping with a win.
LSU took control of the contest early on and maintained a 30-15 lead late into the first half.
Still holding a 15-point advantage just before the break, the Tigers surrendered a pair of threes to Aaron Wiggins, one of the Terrapins' top three-point shooters, to allow the lead to be trimmed to nine at 38-29.
A Maryland technical foul early in the second half helped the Tigers with an 8-2 run that pushed their lead back to 15. From there though, the Terrapins seized command of the game.
An immediate 8-0 run sparked the turnaround and breathed life into a Maryland team that looked like it was on the verge of getting blown out. The Terrapins then used an 18-6 run shortly after that to claim their first lead of the game at 57-55.
But down the stretch, Maryland didn't have quite enough to power through the Tigers' counter punch. LSU's Skylar Mays hit two triples in the final minutes and then Tremont Waters scooped in the game-winning bucket with less than two seconds remaining to secure the 69-67 victory.
Mays went 4-for-8 for the game from three and had the high point total with 16. Waters provided 12 points and five assists while Naz Reid chipped in another 13 points.
Wiggins led all bench scorers with 11 and was one of five Terrapins in double figures. Bruno Fernando had 10 points and 15 rebounds, Anthony Cowan Jr. had 11 points and six assists and Jalen Smith led the squad with 15.
With the win, the Tigers advance to the Sweet 16 in the East Region. It's LSU's first trip to the second weekend since 2006 when it reached the Final Four. It will face the winner of Saturday's matchup between No. 2 Mighican State and No. 10 Minnesota.