No. 3 North Carolina at Maryland
Where » Comcast Center • When » Saturday, 3:30 • TV/Radio » ABC/106.7 FM
The answer to whether or not the Terrapins (16-9, 5-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) have done what it takes to avoid missing the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five seasons depends on who you ask.
Maryland has won three of its last five — it’s also lost four of its last seven, including two games by a combined 70 points.
Beginning with a visit from the Tar Heels (24-2, 10-2 ACC), the Terps play three of their last five games at home — all of them are against teams ranked in the top nine.
Freshman Sean Mosley paced Maryland with 19 points in their 108-91 loss to UNC in Chapel Hill on Feb. 3 — he hasn’t scored in double-figures in the three games since.
North Carolina has won 10 games in a row — the last two have been by less than 10-point margins.
Holy Cross at American
Where » Bender Arena • When » Saturday, 2 • Radio » 1500 AM, 820 AM
The Eagles (18-7, 10-1 Patriot League) can avenge their only loss in the last 14 games and clinch at least a tie for the best regular-season conference record against the Crusaders (14-12, 9-2), the only team left in the league that can still catch American in the race for home court advantage throughout the Patriot League Tournament.
Percentage-wise, the Eagles (.466) and the Crusaders (.431) are the two top-shooting teams in the conference. R.J. Evans leads Holy Cross in scoring (13.0 points per game) and is second in rebounding (5.0 per game). Derrick Mercer (11.5 ppg), who was 3-for-3 from 3-point range at Army on Wednesday, has led the Eagles in scoring in three of the last four games.
Holy Cross has beaten American in 15 out of 20 contests all-time, but the Eagles got the best out of the rivalry last year, with a 62-60 win in the Patriot League quarterfinals. That victory was American’s first postseason win ever over Holy Cross and ended a 10-game home losing streak to the Crusaders.
