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Derik Queen hits buzzer-beater to lift Maryland over Colorado State in March Madness
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- Derik Queen hits buzzer-beater to lift Maryland over Colorado State in March Madness
Maryland basketball is onto the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in nearly a decade.
And it's all thanks to one of its own.
With under 3.7 seconds remaining in the second half against No. 12 Colorado State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, No. 4 Maryland freshman center Derik Queen lifted the Terrapins to the Sweet 16 with a floating fadeaway jumper off his shoulders to beat the buzzer at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle for the 72-71 win. Onions!
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The shot from Queen came after it looked like the Terrapins were going to be upset following a go-ahead 3-pointer from Colorado State's Jalen Lake with 6.1 seconds remaining in the contest.
REQUIRED READING: Men's March Madness live scores: Maryland beats buzzer to reach Sweet 16
Watch: Derik Queen hits buzzer-beater for Maryland vs Colorado State
Queen, who hails from Baltimore and chose to play for Maryland over the likes of Houston and Kansas, not only delivered the biggest shot of his career but also the first buzzer-beater of March Madness.
Here's what Queen's buzzer-beater looked like on the floor in Seattle:
The Big Ten Freshman of the Year's shot, of course, is a leading candidate to be included in the "One Shining Moment" compilation at the end of the Final Four in San Antonio.
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"I'm from Baltimore, that's why," Queen told CBS' Andy Katz on where his confidence came to ask for the ball in the Maryland huddle during the timeout called by Kevin Willard after Lake's 3-pointer.
Added Willard: "I asked everyone who wants the ball and he said, 'Give me the [expletive] ball.' And I said, 'Alright, you are getting it and don't mess around. Go after it and do.' I give him a lot of credit. The big dog came through and proved it."
Behind Queen's team-leading 17 points on 7 of 12 shooting from the field, the Terrapins came back from down seven at halftime to defeat the Rams 72-71 in the second round on Sunday and avoid an upset to a No. 12 seed.
Maryland now advances to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016, and the first time in the Kevin Willard era in College Park, Maryland. The Terrapins will now face No. 1 Florida in the Sweet 16 of the West Region at Oracle Arena in San Francisco on Thursday, March 27.
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(This story was updated with new information)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Derik Queen hits buzzer-beater to give Maryland win over Colorado State
