Quarterfinal

There were sure to be all kinds of challenges during this long season, so why not a game that tested Maryland's fortitude -- and its patience -- with its postseason survival at stake against an unheralded team maddeningly well schooled in the Princeton offense? After another slow start, second-seeded Maryland -- and particularly Dez Wells -- had to dig deep to come back and defeat Denver, 62-52, on Thursday night to advance to the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament.

COLLEGE PARK - As the televisions in Maryland's locker room showed fans at Robert Morris storming the court after their team upset Kentucky in the first round of the NIT on Tuesday night, the Terps seemed to differ in their reactions. Some were happy that one of the top seeds in the 32-team field had been eliminated, as was Atlantic Coast Conference rival Florida State. Others were upset that the potential for two payback games - against the Wildcats and Seminoles - was now gone as well.

The first thing you should know about St. Mary's College of Maryland is this: it's kind of remote. Know how people are always describing a place as being in the middle of nowhere? Well, St. Mary's is 20 miles past nowhere. And then you hang a right. Great school, beautiful campus on the St. Mary's River, sure. But Daniel Boone couldn't find this place. It's as far down Maryland's Western Shore as you can go without falling in the Chesapeake Bay. It's in this unlikely setting that Chris Harney has built a national hoops power.

Justin Black made big baskets at the end of regulation and overtime, helping fifth-seeded Morgan State beat fourth-seeded Savannah State, 64-61, in the quarterfinals of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament Thursday night at Norfolk (Va.) Scope Arena. Black scored 20 points for the Bears (16-14), who will play eighth-seeded Bethune-Cookman in today's semifinals. Bethune-Cookman ousted top-seeded Norfolk State, the MEAC's regular-season champion, 70-68 in overtime Wednesday.

Before the season began, Maryland coach Mark Turgeon told me he had a goal centered on free throws. Here was the goal: "We try to make more free throws than our opponents shoot. " When that happens, Maryland usually prevails. It happened last night in Maryland's 75-62 victory over Wake Forest in the ACC tournament. Maryland made 22 free throws and the Deacons shot 21. It happened the last time Maryland played Wake in the regular season. It happened the last time Maryland played Duke.

Leading wire-to-wire, sixth-seeded Manhattan held off a furious Loyola charge and defeated the Greyhounds, 55-52, to advance to the semifinals of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament in a game that started Saturday night and ended Sunday morning. The Jaspers (13-17) moved on to face No. 7 Fairfield, which upset No. 2 Rider before the third-seeded Greyhounds, the defending tournament champions, also went down. No. 1 Niagara and No. 4 Iona will play in the other semifinal.

The Navy women's team, led by Jade Geif with 20 points, survived a Patriot League basketball quarterfinal by beating visiting Lafayette, 59-55 in overtime Thursday night. Both halves ended in ties, 29-all and 58-all. Geif made two free throws with 32 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Lafayette's Maddie Peabody missed a jumper from the left corner with 3.2 seconds left. In the overtime, Alix Membreno scored four of her team's 11 points and the Mids (19-11) held the Leopards (11-19)

Rashad Whack scored 17 of his team-high 19 points in the second half to lead fifth-seeded Mount St. Mary's to a 75-69 win at fourth-seeded host Bryant in the Northeast Conference tournament quarterfinals Wednesday night.  The Mount (17-13) rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit. Trailing 39-32 early in the second half, the Mount went on a 7-0 run to even the score at 39.  Shivaughn Wiggins started the streak with a three-point play, and Kristijan Krajina and Whack added baskets to cap the run. Whack made a 3-pointer to put the Mount ahead 42-41 with 13:42 left in the game.  It was the Mount's first lead since 4-2.  After a 3-pointer by Frankie Dobbs gave the Bulldogs (19-11)

City had brief spurts of quality offense and defense in the first half of Thursday's Class 3A North quarterfinal boys basketball game against Digital Harbor, but the Knights were unable to put everything together to shake the visiting Rams. The second half was different. With swift ball movement on offense and pressure on defense, the No. 8 Knights methodically broke down Digital Harbor for a 70-52 win to advance to the regional semifinals. City, which improved to 19-5 on the season, will return to its home court Tuesday to take on Aberdeen, which beat Hereford, 59-33, on Thursday.

Dionna White scored a team-high 24 points to lead No. 4 Milford Mill over visiting Hereford 57-49 in a Class 3A North Regional quarterfinal girls basketball game Monday. Qierra Murray had 14 points and Kelli Smoot added 12 for the Millers. Junior Nicole Viscuso led the Bulls with 31 points and 19 rebounds. No. 5 Digital Harbor 85, Parkville 10: In a Class 3A North Regional quarterfinal game, the host Rams' Miqueara Lewis scored 15 points and Jaida Scarborough and Tye Smith each scored 16 to pace Digital Harbor in the win. No. 7 City 66, Bel Air 32: Dyzhanay Burton had points and Treina Ford had 14 to lead the Knights over the visiting Bobcats in a Class 3A North Regional quarterfinal.