Quinerly, Miller lead No. 1 Alabama into Sweet 16

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBMA) — Alabama found itself in a slow-moving defensive battle against Maryland during Saturday's second round game at Legacy Arena in Birmingham. The Terrapins limited Alabama's offense for most of the night but the Crimson Tide turned to its two best options to take over in the second half.

Jahvon Quinerly and Brandon Miller combined for 25 points in the second half, helping the top overall seed run away from Maryland in front of a crowd heavily favoring the Crimson Tide. Alabama never trailed in the second half and finished off a 73-51 victory to secure a spot in next week's Sweet 16 in Louisville.

Alabama (31-5) will play against San Diego State in the next round which is scheduled to be played Friday. Tip off times have not yet been announced. It is the program's second trip to the Sweet 16 in the last three seasons and ninth overall. Alabama will be searching for its second ever trip to the Elite 8.

Quinerly led Alabama with 22 points to go with two assists while grabbing three steals on the defensive end of the court. Quinerly has scored in double figures in seven of Alabama's last eight games, averaging 15 points per game over that stretch.

After going scoreless in the opening game of the tournament, Miller finished with 19 points, going 5-of-17 from the field. He knocked down a pair of 3-pointers while grabbing seven rebounds.

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It was a low-scoring battle through the first 20 minutes of the game. The two teams combined for just a pair of 3-pointers in the first half with both teams shooting below 40 percent from the field. Miller and Quinerly scored 16 of Alabama's 28 points in the first half.

Alabama struggled to find an offensive rhythm early on and trailed by as many as six points after Maryland made its first four shots. The Crimson Tide used a 9-0 run to take the lead for good with just under six minutes to go in the first half and eventually entered the break with a five-point lead.

Quinerly and Miller were back at it to start the second half, scoring or assisting on Alabama's first 12 points to push the lead into double figures for the first time. Miller had a chase down block on the defensive end before knocking down a 3-pointer on the ensuing offensive possession to give Alabama a 10-point lead, bringing the Birmingham crowd to its feet.

Maryland (22-13) would not get any closer than nine points for the rest of the night as the Terrapins found it difficult to string together any offense of its own. For the game, Maryland shot just 39.7 percent from the floor and made 6-of-21 3-point attempts.

Despite its continued offensive woes, Alabama led by as many as 24 points in the second half.

Alabama dominated the rebounding battle, finishing with a 44-32 advantage on the glass. The Crimson Tide scored 16 second chance points off 15 offensive rebounds while holding the Terrapins to just four second chance points.

Charles Bediako led the team with 10 rebounds including five on the offensive end. He shot 4-of-5 from the field to finish with 10 points to go with a block and a steal.