Instant Analysis: Maryland 79, Belmont 77

HOW THE TERPS WON: Maryland struggled in the first half, at one point trailing by as many as 12 points. The Terps were able to cut the deficit to 40-34 at the intermission, but things did not look good. Anthony Cowan had just two points on 1-of-9 shooting in the first 20 minutes and Bruno Fernando turned the ball over with 13 seconds left and a chance to cut into the lead even further before the break.

But there's a reason they play two halves.

The Terps came storming out of the gate to start the second half, going on a 14-0 run to take a 48-40 lead on a Bruno Fernando dunk at the 17:31 mark. Maryland made a concerted effort to get the ball inside to Fernando early in the second half, as he scored all seven of his second-half points during the Terps' 14-0 run.

Darryl Morsell also came up big for the Terps throughout the second half, scoring 11 points in a variety of ways, attacking the basket and drawing fouls, as well as knocking down a timely three late in the game. Morsell finished with a season-high 18 points and had zero turnovers.

Cowan and Eric Ayala also bounced back in the second half after struggling in the first, going a combined 3-of-7 from beyond the arc after missing all eight three-point attempts between them in the first 20 minutes.

THE BIG PICTURE: It wasn't pretty, as the Terps needed a big defensive play in the final seconds to secure the victory, but the Terps were able to survive and advance.

Maryland now moves on to the Round of 32 where they will face the LSU Tigers, who were 79-74 winners over Yale in the first game of the afternoon. LSU comes into Saturday's game with a 27-6 record, having won 20 of their last 23 games. But the Tigers will be without head coach Will Wade, who has been suspended after being caught discussing payment for a player on FBI wiretaps.

STAR WATCH: Jalen 'Stix' Smith was the difference for Maryland in their win over Belmont. The freshman forward finished with a team-high 19 points and 12 rebounds, his fifth double-double of the season. He was an efficient 8-of-9 from the field, including a thunderous dunk in the second half in which he drew a foul for a three-point play. His length made it extremely difficult for Belmont inside and he was strong around the rim both on offense and on the boards. He added a block for good measure.

AND-1: Tuesday's win over Belmont marked the Terps' first postseason win since a March 20, 2016 win over Hawaii in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Terps had lost five straight postseason games since then, including three straight Big Ten Tournament losses. With the win over Belmont, Mark Turgeon is now 4-3 at Maryland in NCAA Tournament play.