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Derik Queen hits game-winning shot to send Maryland to Sweet 16
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- Derik Queen hits game-winning shot to send Maryland to Sweet 16
The first buzzer-beater of March Madness has happened, and it will send Maryland to the Sweet 16 .
The No. 4 Terrapins were in a tough battle with No. 12 Colorado State and the Rams' Jalen Lake hit a clutch go-ahead 3-pointer with six seconds left to give his team a 71-70 lead. Maryland brought the ball up and called a timeout with three seconds left.
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On the final play, Derik Queen drove into the lane and did a running jumper as he shot the ball off the glass and it went in. The buzzer went off to cap the stunning 72-71 victory and avoid the upset from Colorado State.
"I wouldn't have given him the ball if I had known that," said Maryland head coach Kevin Willard.
Queen has been a leader for the Terps and he certainly carried his team back from a 12-point first half deficit. He had a team-high 17 points, and the last two were the ones that pushed Maryland to survive and advance.
"I couldn't do it without my team," Queen added. "We just kept fighting and the coaches and my teammates trusted me to take that last shot."
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Willard said in the timeout huddle prior to the game-winner, he asked his team who wants the ball. Queen was the first to respond and said "I want the (expletive) ball." After that, Willard said it was a simple decision to get the ball to Queen.
"That was my first, that was my first game-winner," Queen said. "When coach drew up the play, my teammates trusted me. He trusted me. I was a little bit nervous, but I knew I was due for one, and I had to make this."
Maryland now heads to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016. The Terrapins will play No. 1 Florida.
Did Derik Queen travel before his buzzer-beater?
Derik Queen hit a bank shot to give the Terrapins a 72-71 win over the Rams in the final second's of Sunday's game, but some question whether he traveled or not on the play.
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While there are differing opinions, former NCAA referee and CBS analyst Gene Steratore said it was a correct no-call.
"By rule, the dribble doesn't end until there's firm possession with one hand locked or, more times than not, with two hands. So we've got to look to see when the dribble ends. Derik Queen makes the turn around the loop. At that point when he brings it back up, we don't know if that's fully possessed. If he bobbles that at that point, he could continue to bobble that basketball all the way to the hoop without a travel."
Contributing: Field Level Media
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Derik Queen hits game-winning shot to send Maryland to Sweet 16
