COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) – Brionna Jones remembers walking off the court, inconsolable after Maryland’s premature exit from the NCAA Tournament.
Jones was a junior last year when the Terrapins were striving to make a third straight appearance in the Final Four. After breezing to victory in the opening round, Maryland stumbled through a 74-65 upset loss at home against Washington.
“I think the biggest memory I have was after the game was over, knowing this was our seniors’ last game after all the hard work they put into the program,” Jones recalled. “Having it end like that was the most disappointing part for me.”
Jones and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough are the senior leaders on this year’s squad, and the underclassmen on this team have taken it upon themselves to make sure history does not repeat itself Sunday when the third-seeded Terps (31-2) host No. 6 seed West Virginia (24-10) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Sitting next to Jones and Walker-Kimbrough on Saturday, Maryland freshman Destiny Slocum said, “They talk about it all the time, the way they felt after the game. There’s no way I want these two amazing players to go out that way. I think it’s the responsibility of the rest of us to get them what they deserve.”