KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Add another frustrating chapter to the University of Maryland's history in the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

The winningest Terrapins basketball team ever had its season ended by St. John's, which scored 23 straight points and went on to a 76-62 victory in the semifinals of the South Regional at Thompson-Boling Arena last night.

Fourth-seeded Ohio State, which defeated No. 1 seed Auburn, 72-64, last night, will meet the Red Storm in the South final tomorrow. The winner moves on to the Final Four next week at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The site of the national championship became the goal of Maryland last summer, when junior-college transfer Steve Francis arrived to complement several returning starters and expectations soared. But Francis and the Terps were grounded by their worst offensive performance of the season.

The Terps (28-6) were second-best in the Atlantic Coast Conference, behind NCAA favorite Duke, and established a school record for wins in a season. However, they were unable to end decades of missed postseason opportunities for the university.

It was Maryland's sixth straight loss in the Sweet 16.

"I appreciate what our team has done this year," said coach Gary Williams, who was denied his 400th college victory. "We ran into a situation in the first half where we just didn't execute, and that is my responsibility."

Maryland, was seeded second in the South; St. John's of the Big East Conference was seeded third.

Pub Date: 3/19/99