The Maryland men’s and women’s basketball teams have been at their best in their 2025 NCAA Tournament. It is the first time in program history both teams have made the Sweet 16 in the same season. The men’s team defeated Colorado State to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16. The women’s team defeated Alabama in a 2 OT thriller on Monday. How far with the Maryland Terrapins be able to go in each of their respective tournaments?
How Did the Maryland Teams Get Here?
HISTORY MADE!
Both @TerrapinHoops and @TerpsWBB are in the Sweet 16 in the same season for the first time, EVER! pic.twitter.com/3pGSw9X3mg
— Maryland Terrapins (@umterps) March 25, 2025
The men’s squad needed a buzzer-beater from Center Derik Queen to advance. It was one of the most exciting finishes in the tournament in recent memory. The Terrapins needed to overcome a 7-point halftime deficit. The lead changed hands multiple times in the second half, but Maryland prevailed due to Queen’s theatrics. It is their first Sweet 16 berth since 2015. They lost to No. 1 seed Kansas that year.
The women’s squad, much like their compatriots on the men’s side, advanced in a thrilling game. They defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide to advance to the Sweet 16. Maryland outscored their opponent 28-19 in the final quarter to force OT. Even though the Crimson Tide kept the game close in the second overtime, Maryland never trailed in the final five minutes. It led to them prevailing 111-108.
Alabama’s Sarah Ashlee Barker scored 45 points, but Maryland overcame it to advance. The Terrapins women’s team has been a mainstay in the Sweet 16 as of late. They have made it there in four of the last five seasons. They last made it in 2023 when their journey ended in the Elite 8.
Final Thoughts
The men’s team will face the West Region’s top-seed Florida Gators in San Francisco, California Thursday evening. The Terrapins are a 6.5-point underdogs. The women’s team will face No. 1 seed South Carolina. The Gamecocks defeated the Terps in the 2023 Elite Eight. Maryland will be seeking revenge on Friday. Maryland is looking to be only the second team in NCAA Tournament history where the men’s and women’s teams won a title in the same year. The UConn Huskies accomplished this in 2004.
