Maryland Terps edge Colorado State in 72-71 March Madness buzzer-beater to advance to Sweet 16

Queen's buzzer-beater seals Maryland's win 

What we know:

SEATTLE - Derik Queen nailed a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer, lifting the Maryland Terrapins to a dramatic 72-71 victory over Colorado State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. The win sends Maryland to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016.

The Terrapins were down 12-points in the first half and trailed by seven at halftime before rallying in the second half. With 22 seconds remaining, center Julian Reese grabbed an offensive rebound, drew a foul, and sank two clutch free throws to give Maryland a 70-68 lead.

After a timeout, Colorado State guard Jalen Lake drained a three-pointer over Queen with six seconds left, putting the 12th-seeded Rams ahead 71-70. The Rams were seeking their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1969.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 23: Derik Queen #25 of the Maryland Terrapins shoots the game-winning shot against Colorado State Rams during the second round of the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Climate Pledge Arena on March 23, 2025 in

Expand

Maryland denies Rams' Sweet 16 hopes

Maryland head coach Kevin Willard called a timeout with 3.6 seconds remaining, setting up the final play. Queen, a 6-foot-10 freshman from Baltimore, drove left, rose above two defenders, and banked in the game-winning shot as time ran out.

What they're saying:

"When Coach drew up the play, he trusted me and my teammates trusted me," Queen said, according to the Associated Press. "I was a little bit nervous, but I was due for one, and I had to, had to make this."

"I thought we defended that last play pretty well. It’s about all we could ask for, and he made a freaking unbelievable shot," Colorado State coach Niko Medved said, according to the AP.

Queen led Maryland with 17 points, followed by Rodney Rice with 16 and Reese with 15. All five starters known as the "Crab Five" scored in double figures.

The fifth-seeded Terrapins will next face top-seeded Florida in the West Region semifinal in San Francisco.