Julian Reese and Maryland blow out Grand Canyon 81-49 in March Madness

SEATTLE (AP) — Julian Reese had 18 points and nine rebounds, and fourth-seeded Maryland pounded No. 13 seed Grand Canyon 81-49 on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie added 16 points for the Terrapins (26-8), who will play No. 12 Colorado State on Sunday in the second round of the West Region. The Rams beat fifth-seeded Memphis 78-70.

Derik Queen, the Big Ten freshman of the year who was averaging 16.3 points and nine rebounds a game, finished with 12 points and 15 boards, becoming the first Maryland freshman with a double-double in the tournament since Jalen Smith in 2019.

“We just stayed together as a team and just kept punching and kept punching and kept punching,” Queen said. “And we just defended. We did everything well that we usually do as a team, as just went out there and played hard.”

Tyon Grant-Foster led Grand Canyon (26-8) with 23 points.

Led by a hardworking group of starters nicknamed the “Crab Five,” the Terps overwhelmed the Lopes, winning by the biggest margin in the school’s tournament history. Grand Canyon got within 44-32 early in the second half on a jumper by Ray Harrison, but the Lopes moved no closer.

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Both teams got off to a slow start. Maryland led 15-10 midway through the first half and then went on an 18-1 run, capped by Rodney Rice’s 3-pointer.

“I think everybody was just nervous a little bit and just let that get to them,” Gillespie said. “But then we locked in defensively.”

Maryland, an at-large entrant to the tournament after falling 81-80 to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, led 42-28 at the break.

Grand Canyon beat Utah Valley to win the Western Athletic Conference Tournament title and an automatic berth. It was the Lopes’ third straight year in the tournament, but they failed to repeat last year’s run to the second round.

“We had many good looks, couldn’t make them,” Grand Canyon coach Bryce Drew said. “We had a little lead early, we should have been up a lot more early. And then once they got the lead, slowly momentum just kept shifting this thing in their way.”

More than the starters

While the Crab Five all averaged in double figures during the season, DeShawn Harris-Smith contributed 11 points in 24 minutes off the bench on Friday after going scoreless in his last nine games. He hit back-to-back layups that stretched the Terps’ lead to 26-12.

“He’s been steady all year,” Terps coach Kevin Willard said. “He’s been a great leader, I think these guys will all say.”

Four of the Crab Five scored in double figures against Grand Canyon.

Record breaker

Selton Miguel hit a 3-pointer with 3:08 left in the first half that gave Maryland a 39-22 lead and gave the Terps 273 3s this season, breaking the program record.

More Queen

Queen had 10 points or more for the 13th straight game, the longest streak by a Maryland freshman since Melo Trimble (18 games) in 2014-15.

Rumors swirl

Willard bristled at continued talk about his future and his thoughts about Maryland’s program after he emerged as a possible candidate for the coaching job at Villanova. Willard also caused a stir in a news conference on Thursday by suggesting that Maryland’s athletic director, Damon Evans, is “probably going to SMU.”

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