ORLANDO, Fla. -- Forgetful of a postseason custom, Lonny Baxter had to be pushed to center court before the start of Maryland's NCAA run. Steve Francis, another of the Terps' tournament rookies, knew exactly where to go.

The biggest mistake Maryland made against Valparaiso yesterday at the Orlando Arena came during the player introductions, when Baxter had to be reminded to meet his opponent at center court and shake hands. Baxter got there late, but the Terps got to the finish line with an 82-60 first-round win.

The No. 2 seed in the South Regional, Maryland wasn't perfect, but it did some exemplary work against a Crusaders' zone in the first half, then turned up the defensive pressure after 15th-seeded Valparaiso crawled to within six points early in the second.

The Terps (27-5) can establish a school record for wins in a season and advance to the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in six years tomorrow, when they meet 10th seed Creighton, a 62-58 upset winner over Louisville.

It's their first tournament since 1995 without Obinna Ekezie, the senior center who went down Feb. 9 with a ruptured Achilles' tendon. Maryland is 8-1 with Baxter starting, but the freshman got off to a shaky start, as Laron Profit had to remind him to meet Zoran Viskovic for a pre-game handshake -- on national TV and in the tournament opener, no less.

"The freshman doesn't understand the etiquette of the NCAA," Profit joked. "He didn't know he was supposed to go out there and shake hands. We had to push him out there. He just smiled. That's all he ever does."

Valparaiso (23-9) was left with a frown, as Maryland took the lead on its first possession and never looked back. The Crusaders, the tournament Cinderella last season, made several spirited runs, but every time they got within hailing distance, the Terps made a defensive stop or three.

Francis and Profit combined to make 14 of 18 shots, the main reason Maryland was 52.5 percent from the field.

Francis penetrated for 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and his three-pointer with 15: 45 left began a decisive 21-5 run. Profit had 18 points and six rebounds, and a lob pass from Francis he slammed home with one hand late in the first half was as acrobatic a play as the Terps have made in this high-flying season.

That closed out a 9-0 run that gave Maryland a 44-32 lead. Valparaiso drew within 50-44, but Francis drained that jumper from the left wing, the Terps turned up the defensive heat and the Crusaders began to come up short on the shots they were fortunate to attempt.

Heavy-breathing Valparaiso made just 22.6 percent of its shots in the second half.

"Maryland's speed and quickness are hard to duplicate in practice," Valparaiso coach Homer Drew said. "They just wore us down to where we made mistakes."

The Terps played for the first time since some zone used by North Carolina had stymied them in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. Coach Gary Williams and his players knew the slower Crusaders would also go to a zone.

The result was the highest point total Valparaiso allowed this season, as Terrell Stokes had five assists to one turnover and the Terps kept making the extra pass until their transition game kicked in.

"Maryland's half-court offense was handled beautifully," Drew said. "We figured that a zone was the best way for us to slow the tempo, but they dissected it beautifully. Their inside passing was superb. Their big guys all have great hands.

"Francis comes in [to the lane], and all of a sudden he throws a shovel pass. They not only catch it, they finish it."

Sophomore forward Terence Morris busted out of a slump with 18 points and 10 rebounds, both game-high totals.

Baxter and backup Mike Mardesich continue to have shooting troubles, but Maryland got a big lift late in the first half from Brian Watkins, the senior forward who posted up for a tough bank shot, then got a big stop on Viskovic.

"Once you get the ball inside against a zone, you're going to score," Williams said. "We were sharp. I was real encouraged by the way we raised our level of play."

The difference could have been 30 points, as Maryland was 6-for-14 at the free throw line at one point. Williams is confident his team will shoot better tomorrow, when the opponent is more talented than Valparaiso, and with some of the Terps' defensive tenacity.

"Creighton is a tough team, they proved that the way they came back on Louisville," Williams said. "They play some match-up, they've got a good full-court press. They're the kind of team that won't be afraid to press us, like some teams are."

Next for Terps

Opponent: Creighton (22-8)

What: NCAA South Regional second round

When: Tomorrow, 2: 40 p.m.

Where: Orlando (Fla.) Arena

TV/Radio: Ch. 13/WBAL (1090 AM)

Today's TV games

Game Time TV

Cincinnati vs. George Mason 12: 15 p.m. Ch. 9

Delaware vs. Tennessee 12: 25 p.m. Ch. 13

Kent vs. Temple 2: 45 p.m.* Ch. 13

Arizona vs. Oklahoma 3 p.m.* Ch. 9

Michigan State vs. Mount St. Mary's 7: 55 p.m. Chs. 13, 9

Mississippi vs. Villanova 10: 25 p.m.* Chs. 13, 9

*-Approximate

Pub Date: 3/12/99