The No.5-seeded Maryland Terrapins (26-8) and No.13-seeded Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (28-5) meet in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Spokane Arena. The game starts at 7:10 pm ET on Sunday, Mar. 20 and will air on TBS.
The Terrapins defeated South Dakota State 79-74 in the First Round. Jake Layman led all scorers with 27 points on 7-for-11 shooting. The Rainbow Warriors, meanwhile, are coming off a 77-66 win over California in the First Round. Stefan Jankovic stood out for Hawaii, registering 16 points, five rebounds, and one block.
Aaron Valdes has been on fire over the last five games for the Rainbow Warriors, averaging 15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 2.0 three-pointers.
The game should be a showdown of strength against strength, as the prolific offense of Maryland (31st in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 114.0) takes on the stingy defense of Hawaii (third in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 93.6). Furthermore, getting to the line could play a crucial role for the Rainbow Warriors. They rank sixth in the nation in FTA rate (45.7). However, the Terrapins are among the best in the nation at keeping opponents off the charity stripe (ranking seventh at 26.9).
The Terrapins have gone 26-8 Straight Up (SU) and 15-17-2 Against The Spread (ATS). The Terrapins are an incredibly accurate shooting team from the line with a .765 free throw percentage, one of the highest marks in Division I. Maryland’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation, allowing just 6.0 three-pointers per game.
On the other side, the Rainbow Warriors have a record of 15-12 ATS and 28-5 SU.
This game marks the first time Maryland and Hawaii have played one another in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hawaii, ATS Winner – Hawaii
Notes
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors rank 96th for their offensive rating of 109.2. The Maryland Terrapins have a defensive rating of 100.0 (ranked 32nd).
The Maryland Terrapins have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking 12th in the nation with a FG% of 48.9%. The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors are undefeated with a 1-0 record in games where opponents have a similar or higher FG%.
The Maryland Terrapins average 20.0 three point attempts per game, and the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors attempt 21.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; Maryland is 14-6 and Hawaii is 17-5.
The Maryland Terrapins average 5.3 blocks per game, the 17th-ranked team in the country. The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors rank a lowly 131st in blocking with just 3.7 per game.
The Maryland Terrapins make an average of 5.8 steals per game. When the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors allow 5 or more steals, they are a superb 20-4.
