SAN FRANCISCO – Florida’s trio of standout seniors, backed by a deep bench, proved an excessive amount of for Maryland’s “Crab 5” to deal with.
The highest-seeded Gators pulled away within the second half for an 87-71 victory over the No. 4 seed Terrapins on Thursday night time.
Maryland falls to Florida in March Insanity event
What we all know:
The win secures Florida’s place within the NCAA Event’s West Area remaining.
Freshman standout Derik Queen delivered a stellar efficiency, scoring 27 factors to guide Maryland (27-9). Nonetheless, the workforce’s spectacular season concluded in bittersweet vogue.
“I feel their bench actually wore us down,” Terrapins coach Kevin Willard mentioned based on the Related Press.
Prime-seeded Florida (33-4) will face No. 3 seed Texas Tech on Saturday within the West Area remaining. Texas Tech earned its spot after a dramatic additional time comeback towards Arkansas on Thursday.
READ MORE: Maryland Terps edge Colorado State in 72-71 March Insanity buzzer-beater to advance to Candy 16
Freshman Derik Queen shines in Maryland’s Candy 16 loss
The “Crab 5,” led by Julian Reese — brother of WNBA star Angel Reese, who cheered from the stands — mounted a first-half rally when Florida threatened to tug away.
Queen, who secured Maryland’s second-round victory with a buzzer-beater of their 72-71 win over Colorado State on Sunday, remained a key contributor for the Terps regardless of their defeat.
The loss has left many unanswered questions on this system shifting ahead and will mark the top of Willard’s tenure as head coach of the Terrapins. The coach’s future was unclear after he was linked to the Villanova job and in addition publicly expressed issues about this system’s management.
Julian Reese #10 of the Maryland Terrapins shoots the ball towards Rueben Chinyelu #9 of the Florida Gators through the first half within the West Regional Candy Sixteen spherical of the NCAA Males’s Basketball Event at Chase Heart on March 27, 2025 in Sa
The Supply: FOX 5 DC & Related Press
