In a heart-pounding March Madness showdown, Derik Queen made his mark in NCAA Tournament history, hitting a buzzer-beating fadeaway to lift the Maryland Terrapins to a stunning 72-71 victory over Colorado State. With just 3.6 seconds remaining on the clock, Maryland trailed 71-70 in a must-win second-round game. What followed was a moment of basketball magic that will be remembered for years to come.
Maryland’s Last-Ditch Effort: Who Wanted the Final Shot?
The tension in the air was palpable as Terrapins coach Kevin Willard gathered his players for a final play that would determine their fate in the tournament. The decision was simple, yet profound—who wanted the ball with the game on the line? Each player had a chance to step up and voice their intent. When the 6-foot-10 freshman from Baltimore, Derik Queen, spoke up, there was no doubt in Willard’s mind.
With the urgency of the moment weighing heavy, Queen’s answer was bold. Using an expletive for emphasis, he made it clear that he wanted the responsibility of taking the game-winning shot. The room went silent for a moment, and then the confidence from Queen was unmistakable.
“Sometimes, you can draw something up for a guy that maybe doesn’t want the basketball,” Coach Willard remarked, reflecting on the decision. “But once he said that, it was a pretty simple decision, and I could see everyone’s body language kind of perk up a little bit, because he was so confident that he wanted the basketball.”
The Moment of Truth: A Fadeaway for the Ages
What followed was nothing short of a spectacle. Willard’s play call was simple: a zipper play designed to get Queen the ball in his hands and let him work his magic. Queen took the basketball from the top of the key, dribbled to his left, and with two defenders closing in, he elevated and launched a high-arcing fadeaway. The shot kissed the glass as the buzzer blared, and the entire arena held its breath. When the ball dropped through the net, pandemonium erupted.
For Queen, the moment was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. “I was a little bit nervous,” he admitted after the game, revealing the mental struggle behind the shot. “But I was due for one, and I had to, had to make this.” His confidence, backed by the trust of his coach and teammates, made all the difference.
Maryland’s Sweet 16 Journey Begins
This win not only secured Maryland a place in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016, but it also marked a coming-of-age moment for Queen, a freshman whose poise under pressure showed why he is one of the rising stars in college basketball.
The Terrapins’ thrilling victory sends them to the next round, where they will face a new set of challenges. But for now, Maryland fans will savor the magic of Queen’s game-winning shot and the feeling of advancing in March Madness against all odds.
Coach Willard’s decision to trust Queen with the game on the line proved to be a masterstroke, and the Terrapins now have a new hero in their ranks. As Maryland moves forward in the tournament, one thing is certain: Derik Queen’s buzzer-beater will be remembered as one of the most iconic moments of this March Madness.
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