Ayala scores 23 to push No. 10 Maryland past UConn
– Eric Ayala scored 23 points and Maryland clamped down on defense down the stretch to snag a 63-54 victory over No. 7 UConn in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night. The 10th-seeded Terrapins held UConn to 32% shooting to overcome the Huskies' strong physical game. Ayala and Darryl Morsell each made a pair of three throws to push the lead back to nine. It was the first meeting between Maryland and UConn since Maryland won in the 2002 regional final en route to its only national championship.
Ayala, Wiggins lead Maryland past No. 6 Wisconsin 70-64
Eric Ayala scored 17 points, while Aaron Wiggins added 15 points and nine rebounds as Maryland beat No. Maryland outscored Wisconsin 38-20 in the paint, limiting the Badgers’ post team of Nate Reuvers and Micah Potter to just 12 points on 6-of-18 shooting. Maryland responded down the stretch to each run the Badgers made trying to take back the lead. Wisconsin: The Badgers dropped 85 points in Michigan State three days earlier. Wisconsin: The Badgers host Minnesota on Thursday.
Harper carries No. 19 Rutgers past Maryland 74-60 in Big Ten
Ron Harper Jr. scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half, and the 19th-ranked Scarlet Knights cruised past Maryland 74-60 on Monday night. The Scarlet Knights hadn't won a Big Ten opener since joining the league in 2014, and were 16-73 in conference play before going 11-9 last season. The Scarlet Knights broke open a tight game with a 10-0 run that made it 50-38 with 11:49 left. “Harper took over the game on the offensive end and Johnson was phenomenal on the defensive end," Turgeon said. BIG PICTURERutgers: That was a solid start in conference play for the Scarlet Knights.