No. 11 Xavier upsets No. 6 Maryland 76-65

Xavier guard Malcolm Bernard (11) looks for an opening past Maryland guard Melo Trimble (2) during the first half of the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Thursday, March 16, 2017 in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

by: Andy Long

Posted: Mar 16, 2017 / 09:02 PM EDT

Updated: Mar 16, 2017 / 09:02 PM EDT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Trevon Bluiett scored 21 points and Sean O’Mara had 18 to help No. 11 seed Xavier upset sixth-seeded Maryland 76-65 during the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night.

The Musketeers move on in the West region, marking the third straight year they have advanced to the second round. Maryland, which has started three freshmen for much the season, lost in the first round for the first time since 1997.

After a slow start, Bluiett came through with 18 second-half points to help the Musketeers rally from an early 6-point deficit. Bluiett converted seven field goals, including five 3-pointers to energize Xavier.

Freshman Kevin Huerter led the Terps with 19 points while star guard Melo Trimble had 13 points, but made only one-third of his shots.Keep checking NBC4i.com for real-time updates on this story. To get alerts for breaking news, grab the free NBC4 News App for iPhone or Android. You can also sign up for email alerts.