Kansas City, MO (My Sportsbook) - After a scare in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the second-seeded Memphis Tigers will try to regroup and put forth a much better showing when they take on the 10th-seeded Maryland Terrapins in second round play of the West Region.
The Terps had a tough opponent in California in the first round, but in a hard-fought contest, Maryland was able to pull away down the stretch, defeating the Golden Bears by an 84-71 margin. It was the third win in the last four games for Maryland, which is now 21-13 on the year. This is the 23rd appearance in the Big Dance for Maryland, which has compiled a 37-21 mark in this event.
As for the Tigers, they trailed by six midway through the second half in their first round matchup, but they withstood a shooting barrage by Cal State Northridge and avoided what would have been a huge upset by squeaking past the Matadors, 81-70. It was the 26th consecutive victory for Memphis, which claimed the regular season and tournament titles in the Conference USA. The Tigers, who are the first team in NCAA Division I history to enter the tournament with 30 or more wins four straight years, are making their 22nd appearance in the Big Dance and now own a respectable 31-21 ledger.
The Tigers have a 2-1 edge over the Terps in the all-time series, but the lone Maryland win was an 84-61 decision over Memphis in the last matchup which took place in 2004. The winner will take on either Marquette or Missouri in the next round.
Greivis Vasquez shot nearly 50.0 percent from the floor (10-of-21) in the first round victory for Maryland, as the guard poured in 27 of the team's 81 points. Dave Neal added 15 points in the 13-point victory, while Eric Hayes tallied 14 points. Adrian Bowie contributed 12 points and seven assists for Maryland, which shot 49.2 percent as a team in the victory. Throughout the season the Terps have relied heavily on the play of Vasquez, who has proven time and time again he is a dangerous threat with the ball in his hands. The guard has done everything on the floor for Maryland this year, and is pacing the team with 17.5 ppg and 171 assists. Vasquez is also pulling down 5.5 rebounds per matchup and has collected 48 steals, both of which are also team highs. Landon Milbourne is contributing 11.5 ppg, while Eric Hayes is chipping in 10.3 ppg. Hayes, who is shooting a mediocre 42.4 percent from the field, has also racked up 111 assists on the year.
The Tigers were clearly not at their best on Thursday, and whether it was rust, over-confidence, or first-round jitters, Memphis looked nothing like the team that won 32 games on the year. However, even with their struggles, the Tigers still finished with 81 points and a double-figure victory. Memphis, which shot 49.2 percent, was paced by an unlikely hero in Roburt Sallie. Sallie, who is averaging only 5.4 ppg on the season, hit a first-round record 10 three-point baskets and finished with a career-high 35 points to help Memphis avoid an embarrassing loss. Tyreke Evans added 15 points and five assists, while Antonio Anderson contributed 13 points, to go along with a game-high nine helpers. Evans is one of four players posting double figures for Memphis, as the guard is netting 16.6 ppg, to go along with 5.4 rpg, 134 assists and a team-best 73 steals. The frontcourt combination of Robert Dozier and Shawn Taggart has been menacing, as Dozier is posting 12.6 ppg and 7.2 rpg, while Taggart is registering 10.4 ppg, to go along with a team-best 7.5 rebounds per contest. Anderson, who is leading the team with 150 assists, is chipping in 10.3 ppg on the year. Not to be overlooked however, is the play of Memphis at the defensive end of the court, as the Tigers head into the second round of action holding opponents to just 57.3 ppg, on a weak 36.4 percent shooting effort.
