No. 5 Seed Maryland Beats No. 13 Seed Hawaii 73-60
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -- Melo Trimble scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds as Maryland beat Hawaii 73-60 on Sunday to advance to the round of 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Diamond Stone added 14 points for fifth-seeded Maryland (27-8), which advanced to the round of 16 for the eighth time in the past 22 years.
Mike Thomas had 19 points and 11 rebounds for 13th-seeded Hawaii (28-6), which won a tournament game for the first time this season.
Maryland will play Kansas next Thursday in the round of 16.
After a sluggish first half in which Maryland led 28-27, the tempo picked up in the second.
Hawaii went on a 10-4 run to take a 39-36 lead. Then the bottom fell out.
Trimble's 3-pointer, the first of the game for Maryland after 15 misses, highlighted a 14-0 run that put the Terps ahead 53-41 with just over seven minutes left. Hawaii made just 1-of-13 field goal attempts during Maryland's run.
Hawaii pressed and tried to close the margin, but the teams traded baskets the rest of the way.
Maryland had a big advantage in free throws, making 28 of 31. Hawaii made 10 of 15.
Neither team shot well. Maryland connected on 46 percent of its shots, but only made 1 of 18 from 3-point range. Hawaii shot 33 percent.
Maryland missed its first six shots and didn't score a field goal until six minutes into the game, but Hawaii held only a 6-4 lead at that point. Hawaii made only five of its first 15 shots.
Hawaii built a 10-4 lead, but Diamond Stone scored four baskets as the Terps took a 14-13 lead.
The teams traded baskets as the scoring pace picked up. Maryland led 28-27 lead at halftime.
This season has been an unexpected success for Hawaii under first-year coach Eran Ganot. In December, the NCAA slapped his program with sanctions for infractions committed under former coach Gib Arnold. The penalties include a 2016-17 postseason ban, scholarship reductions and players being allowed to transfer without having to sit out a year.
Instead of crumbling, the Warriors won the Big West Conference. They set a school record for victories in a season by beating California 77-66 in the first round of the tournament, their first win after four losses in the NCAAs.
Meanwhile, Maryland hung on to beat South Dakota State 79-74 in the first round.
It's been an up-and-down season for the Terrapins, who at one point were ranked No. 2 in the nation before losing five of their final eight games before the tournament.
TIP INS
Maryland: All five Maryland starters average in double figures, between 14.4 and 11.1 points per game ... Maryland came in 2-0 versus Hawaii, with wins in 1984 and 1996.
Hawaii: The Warriors have played on the U.S. mainland since March 1 after playing their final two Big West regular season games on the road, followed by the conference tournament in Anaheim, California.
UP NEXT
Maryland plays Kansas next Thursday in the round of 16.
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