No. 5 Maryland 76, Nebraska 64

3/25/2008 10:56 PM

By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -Fortunately for Maryland, playing outstanding basketball isn't a prerequisite for entering the round of 16 in the NCAA women's tournament.

The Terrapins were better than Nebraska on Tuesday night, and that's all that mattered to a very relieved No. 1 seed after a 76-64 victory.

``I don't think we played our best. We did enough to advance, and that's what it's about,'' said guard Kristi Toliver, who scored 19 points but had six of Maryland's 14 turnovers.

Marissa Coleman also scored 19, and Crystal Langhorne had 18 points and 12 rebounds to help the Terrapins win after they blew a 15-point lead.

Maryland (32-3) will next face fourth-seeded Vanderbilt (25-8) on Saturday in the semifinals of the Spokane Regional.

Getting this far is no small feat for the Terrapins. In their previous seven tournament appearances, they made it to the round of 16 only once - on their way to winning the 2006 national championship.

``We're going to the Sweet 16, so as much as people want to say Maryland this and Maryland that, we're still there and we're going to be ready for Vandy,'' forward Laura Harper said.

Yvonne Turner scored a career-high 23 points for the Cornhuskers (21-12), who performed marvelously in an unfriendly environment.

``This is a very difficult place to play, especially playing the No. 1 seed on their home court,'' Nebraska coach Connie Yori said. ``They did a lot of things in the second half that enabled them to pull away from us.''

Playing twice at home, the Terrapins stumbled past No. 16 seed Coppin State on Sunday before facing an eighth-seeded Nebraska team coming off its first NCAA tournament win in 10 years.

It should have been a mismatch, and for a while it looked like one. The Terps showed why they were ranked in the top five throughout the season while racing to a 32-17 lead, and even after the Cornhuskers pulled even at 45, an 8-0 Maryland run appeared to restore order.

But Nebraska never stopped coming.

Coleman was the driving force in keeping Maryland afloat, scoring 15 in the second half after going 1-for-6 from the floor in the opening 20 minutes. It was 45-45 before the junior forward sank a 3-pointer with 14:36 left to put the Terrapins ahead for good. Coleman then hit a jumper, and a 3-pointer by Toliver made it 53-45.

Minutes later, however, Turner hit a 3-pointer and was fouled, and the rare 4-point play sparked a surge that got Nebraska to 65-61. Toliver answered with two straight baskets, and the Terrapins finally had enough breathing room to plan for their trip west.

Led by Langhorne, Maryland finished with a 47-34 rebounding advantage.

``We are not as big and physical as they are, and the rebounding is really what it boiled down to,'' Yori said.

Maryland thrilled the partisan crowd of 8,715 by racing to a 32-17 lead with 5 minutes left in the first half, but the Cornhuskers closed with a 16-2 blitz to make it 34-33 at the break. Turner led the charge with eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers.

Turner was 2-for-3 from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes; her teammates were 0-for-8.