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Huge Rally Lifts Maryland

The Associated Press

Published: March 29, 2009

RALEIGH, N.C. - Marissa Coleman wanted more, so she did more.

The Maryland senior scored a career-high 42 points, including the go-ahead basket with 27.9 seconds left, as the Terrapins rallied from 18 down to beat Vanderbilt 78-74 on Saturday in the NCAA Tournament.

The No. 1 seed in the Raleigh Region used a late 15-3 run to erase an 11-point deficit and didn't lead until Demauria Liles hit a layup with 2:07 left.

Coleman - who surpassed her previous best of 32 points set a month ago against Boston College - nearly had to beat the Commodores by herself. She finished 15-for-27 from the field, made 10 of 11 free throws, had 15 rebounds and had the ball in her hands on virtually every important possession.

Christina Wirth scored a career-high 28 points to lead No. 4 seed Vanderbilt (26-9). Her free throws with 42.4 seconds left made it 74-all.

Coleman then put Maryland (31-4) ahead to stay on their next trip downcourt with a fallaway jumper over Jence Rhoads.

After Wirth's jumper over Kristi Toliver rimmed out with about 12 seconds left, Coleman hit two free throws with 9.6 seconds remaining to clinch the Terps' third trip to a regional final in four seasons.

Toliver finished with 17 points for the Terrapins.

Louisville Upends Baylor 56-39

Angel McCoughtry and Louisville are one step from the Final Four.

McCoughtry had 22 points and 12 rebounds Saturday to help the Cardinals beat Baylor 56-39 in the NCAA Tournament's round of 16, sending them to the first regional championship game in school history.

Candyce Bingham added 15 points and 15 rebounds for the Cardinals (32-4), the No. 3 seed in the Raleigh Region. That included a pair of critical 3-pointers during Louisville's decisive 12-0 spurt in the final eight minutes that finally blunted a gritty performance by the second-seeded Bears (29-6).

Louisville, which closed the game on an 18-2 run, advanced to Monday night's region final to face Maryland.

Iowa State Rallies Past Michigan St.

BERKELEY, Calif. - Alison Lacey's 3-pointer from the top of the key with 23 seconds remaining capped a furious comeback, leading fourth-seeded Iowa State to a 69-68 victory against ninth-seeded Michigan State and a trip to the Berkeley Region final.

The Cyclones (27-8) trailed 68-61 after Aisha Jefferson's basket with 1:26 to play and looked poised to become an upset victim before scoring the final eight points.

Nicky Wieben scored her only basket on a putback and the Cyclones turned up the pressure on defense. Heather Ezell banked in a 3-pointer to cut the lead to two and after a turnover by Michigan State (22-11), Lacey hit her biggest shot on a 29-point night.

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