LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY —There was still basketball to play — about four minutes, in fact.

But after the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 overall seed Kansas took a 16-point lead late in the second half against the Terrapins men’s basketball team Thursday night, many fans at the KFC Yum! Center decided they had seen enough.

Coach Mark Turgeon called a timeout, and the Terps convened in front of their bench. Feet away, the Kansas cheerleaders jumped up and down as the Jayhawks’ band’s tunes filled the venue. It was at that point, when fans of both teams started filing for the exits, that reality sunk in.

The No. 5 seed Terps, once heralded as a national title contender, would be eliminated in the Sweet Sixteen. It was an unceremonious end for a season that was supposed to alter the narrative of the Terps program.

The Terps played well enough to win in the first half, trailing just 36-34. Yet over the final 20 minutes, they crumbled. Guard Melo Trimble’s shots stopped falling. Jayhawks forward Perry Ellis dominated the Terps front court for 27 points. Forward Robert Carter Jr. and center Diamond Stone let foul trouble get the best of them.

The verdict among fans will undoubtedly be one of disappointment — a hapless 79-63 season-ending loss warrants as much.

The business owners whose stores and restaurants line Route 1 can rest easy tonight.

Here are my postgame grades:

Guard Melo Trimble: C+

Yes, the sophomore scored 17 points, but it was an inefficient 17 points. He shot just 5-for-16, and an awful 1 of 7 from behind the arc. Trimble relied on his 3-pointer to a fault this season, and his poor production Thursday played a big role in the Terps’ demise.

Guard Rasheed Sulaimon: B+

Sulaimon started out on fire, nailing his first four shots and entering the half with a team-high 12 points. He cooled off a bit in the second, finishing with 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting.

Forward Jake Layman: B

I would’ve liked to see Layman take some of Trimble’s 16 shots —he went 3 of 8 from the floor — but such is the story of this season.

Forward Robert Carter Jr.: C

Carter had a really tough time defending Ellis. He fell into some early foul trouble and never got into a groove offensively.

Center Diamond Stone: D

If this game was any indication, the freshman might not be as NBA-ready as many thought. He looked overmatched on both sides of the ball, committing four fouls and playing just 21 minutes. He finished with five points and four rebounds.