College basketball fans on the Hilltop and in College Park are pleased, while the ones in Foggy Bottom probably wish they hadn’t turned on the TV. The Hoyas pounded Belmont and will face Boston College, while the Terps handled Davidson and will face Butler, and the Colonials were clobbered by Vanderbilt, losing by 33. And over at the DCist Reader-Staff Bracketfest, Kyle Mahaney is in the lead, having picked every game except Butler over ODU. On with the recaps:
Terps Tame Wildcats
Maryland kicked off March Madness with an 82-70 victory over Davidson in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Terps twice battled back from eight-point deficits against the scrappy Wildcats, who got 30 points from freshman Stephen Curry, son of former NBA player and Virginia Tech star Dell Curry.
Maryland eventually wore down Davidson, holding a 49-31 advantage on the glass. The Terps were led by Mike Jones’ 17 points, and all five Maryland starters scored in double figures. They were joined by Bambale Osby, who contributed 11 points and six rebounds in 21 big minutes off the bench.
Maryland advances to play Butler, who were 57-46 winners over Old Dominion yesterday. The Bulldogs made headlines earlier in the year by winning the preseason NIT, beating Notre Dame, Indiana, Tennessee, and Gonzaga along the way. They limped to the finish line, however, losing three of their last five to share the regular season title of the Horizon League with Wright State, then lost in the conference finals those same Raiders. Unlike Davidson, who likes to push the tempo, Butler will look to slow the pace down against the bigger, faster Terps.
-Hayden Alfano
