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Sports

WVU beats Maryland to advance to Sweet 16

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Devin Williams tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds and West Virginia's stifling defense forced 23 turnovers in its 69-59 win over Maryland in Sunday's Midwest Regional matchup.

Gary Browne netted 14 points and Daxter Miles Jr. and Jonathan Holton added 12 apiece for the fifth-seeded Mountaineers (25-9), who are rewarded with a Sweet 16 matchup against top-ranked Kentucky in Cleveland next Friday.

"We shot 36 percent in the first half, they shot 55 (percent), and we led by one because we get more shots. That's what we are," said West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said.

Star freshman Melo Trimble scored 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting for Maryland (28-7) before leaving the game in the second half with a head injury. An emotional Trimble had to watch the final 8:25 from the bench.

Maryland, which averages just 12 turnovers on the season, had trouble with West Virginia's press from start to finish, and it only got worse without Trimble. The Mountaineers converted 26 points off turnover to Maryland's 10.

Maryland capitalized on a prolonged WVU scoring drought midway through the first half, scoring nine straight to take a 19-16 lead at 11:25. Evan Smotrycz hit from deep to start the flurry and Jared Nickens scored six straight on the back end.

Both teams held slim leads later in the half before two Williams free throws gave the Mountaineers a 35-34 halftime edge.

Browne hit two 3s to lead a 10-2 WVU flurry early in the second. Trimble hit a triple at the other end to get Maryland within three, but that was the final highlight for the star freshman.

Trimble was hit hard with a shoulder from Nathan Adrian on a moving screen, and he briefly left the game before returning to the court to try and tough it out. Minutes later, Trimble took another blow to the head, this time incidental contact from a teammate, while running back in transition.

"The first time he hit his head he was fine. He bounced up," Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said. "The second time he came out, he didn't pass enough of a test. His head was hurting."

West Virginia built a nine-point lead and held off a late Terrapins rally to secure the game.

Game Notes

Jake Layman scored 10 points for Maryland, and Dez Wells finished with nine points but committed eight turnovers before fouling out ... WVU point guard Juwan Staten had six assists.