Entering the NCAA tournament, the Maryland Terrapins were desperately playing for time. The Terps were trying to extend a memorable season and keep their three starting seniors' college careers alive at least one more game.
Maryland, the No. 4 seed, survived 26 points by Houston guard Aubrey Coleman and beat the 13th-seeded Cougars, 89-77, to advance to a second-round meeting with fifth-seeded Michigan State here Sunday for a spot in the Sweet Sixteen.
It was the 10th straight victory for Maryland in a first-round NCAA game dating back to 1998. No. 4 seeds entered the tournament with a record of 64-16 in first-round games since 1990.
Seniors Eric Hayes (11 points, six assists), Landon Milbourne (19 points, seven rebounds) and Greivis Vasquez (16 points, seven rebounds, six assists), played important roles Friday night, but Maryland won in large part because of freshman Jordan Williams, who showed just how different a team can be with a little inside muscle. Williams had 21 points to top his previous career high of 19. He also set a career high in rebounds with 17.
A year ago, the Terps overcame a lack of size to advance to the tournament's second round. On Friday night, it was Maryland -- not an opponent -- who had a size advantage and exploited it.
The 6-foot-10 Williams had 10 points and 10 rebounds in the first half alone against the Cougars, who are statistically one of the nation's worst rebounding teams.
"We knew they weren't a great rebounding team," Williams said. "Any good team attacks the other team's weaknesses."
Said Maryland coach Gary Williams: "Jordan, I think he had 17 rebounds tonight. We needed somebody that took up some room inside that we could throw the ball to and it's really helped our offense. It was great to see what Jordan did out there tonight."
The Terps led only 39-37 at the half. Maryland, which had not played a game in a week, appeared to find its comfort zone in the second half. The Terps began to score transition points after halftime, getting out in the open court.
"I guess you could say we got a little nervous," said Maryland guard Adrian Bowie (nine points). "We had been watching all the [tournament] upsets before we played."
Maryland took a 61-50 lead on a layup by Bowie, who played well off the bench. The Terps still led by 11 -- at 74-63 -- with a little over 6 minutes remaining.
Earlier, Michigan State (25-8) defeated New Mexico State, 70-67. Maryland assistant coaches Keith Booth and Rob Ehsan sat near courtside scouting the No. 5 Spartans and the No. 12 Aggies.
The Spartans entered the tournament second in the nation in rebounding margin, while Maryland was tied for 174th. Michigan State had a large and noisy fan contingent at Spokane Arena.
Houston was led most of the night by Coleman, the 6-foot-4 guard with a penchant for hard drives to the basket. Coach Tom Penders had said that the Cougars had nothing to lose because -- at 15-15 earlier in the season -- they had been all but counted out.
Penders referred to the team earlier as "dead man walking," a moniker which was repeated in the media and by players and fans.
It took Houston only a few seconds to put up a 3 on its first possession -- a miss.
The Cougars took an 18-13 lead behind nine early points by Coleman, who accounted for 16 of Houston's first 29 points.
But the Terps -- exploiting Houston's lack of inside presence -- took a 37-29 lead late in the first half.
Houston closed to within 39-37 on junior guard Adam Brown's heave to beat the halftime buzzer. Brown was between midcourt and the 3-point line when he let it fly.
With their victory, the Terps will try again Sunday to keep alive a season in which they entered the national rankings and tied Duke atop the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season standings at 13-3.
Game time will be 2:40 p.m. ET.
HOUSTON (19-16)
S.Coleman 0-3 0-0 0, Washington 1-3 2-4 4, Lewis 7-15 8-10 24, Wade 0-2 0-0 0, A.Coleman 9-20 7-13 26, Nixon 3-6 3-5 10, McNeil 1-3 0-0 2, Haywood 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 4-8 0-0 11. Totals 25-60 20-32 77.
MARYLAND (24-8)
Milbourne 6-15 7-7 19, Williams 9-14 3-4 21, Hayes 4-7 2-2 11, Mosley 2-6 0-0 4, Vasquez 5-13 6-6 16, Bowie 3-5 1-2 9, Tucker 2-6 0-0 5, Gregory 1-2 2-4 4. Totals 32-68 21-25 89.
Halftime_Maryland 39-37. 3-Point Goals_Houston 7-20 (Brown 3-6, Lewis 2-6, Nixon 1-2, A.Coleman 1-4, S.Coleman 0-2), Maryland 4-17 (Bowie 2-3, Hayes 1-3, Tucker 1-3, Milbourne 0-1, Mosley 0-2, Vasquez 0-5). Fouled Out_Brown. Rebounds_Houston 29 (A.Coleman 8), Maryland 50 (Williams 17). Assists_Houston 7 (A.Coleman, Nixon 2), Maryland 18 (Hayes, Vasquez 6). Total Fouls_Houston 19, Maryland 20. A_10,861.