COLLEGE PARK, MD. – Playing without its point guard, Maryland kept its NCAA Tournament hopes alive with a 79-76 win over No. 6 Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday night.
Jontay Porter made a 3-pointer to give Baylor a 76-74 lead with 27 seconds remaining, but Maryland’s Anthony Cowan answered with a 3-pointer to give the Terrapins the lead back. Porter’s potential game-tying jumper rimmed out with nine seconds remaining.
Baylor turned the ball over on its final possession. Maryland escaped with the win thanks to two free throws by P.J. Hairston with four seconds left.
Cowan led Maryland (22-11) with 22 points and Marcus Paige added 19.
LaceDarius Dunn led Baylor (26-6) with 18 points. Drake Fonteno had 16 and Porter added 15.
Maryland led 27-24 at halftime. Baylor shot 55 percent from the field in the first half to Maryland’s 35 percent. The Bears led by as many as six points early in the second half.
Fonteno had seven points as Baylor took a 33-31 lead with 14:07 remaining. Maryland responded with a 9-0 run. Cowan had two baskets during the run.
Harold Carey’s reverse layup gave Maryland a 45-39 lead. Cowan had a pair of free throws to put Maryland up by five, and Cowan’s 3-pointer with 8:15 remaining pushed the Terrapins’ lead to 55-46.
The final minute of the first half was defined by fouls. Baylor made seven of eight foul shots in the final minute of the half, including a pair by Jared Butler with two seconds remaining.
NOTES: The winner of Wednesday’s Maryland-Baylor game will face Texas Tech or West Virginia on Thursday night. … Maryland F Joshua Tomaic appeared in just five games this season after undergoing knee surgery on Jan. 7. But in his most recent game, he had a career-high nine points in 18 minutes. He also grabbed four rebounds and blocked two shots. … Baker’s statement goes beyond NCAA Tournament chances. If coach Scott Drew is worried about the NIT, he did a very good job of disguising it Tuesday. The Baylor big man earned an extra bonus with each bucket and made layup. … Maryland beat Baylor 74-69 in College Park on Jan. 20. … The Terrapins have won seven straight, including two in the Big Ten Tournament. … Maryland beat Baylor 13 times in a row from 1986-95.