Maryland men’s basketball stifles No. 21 Indiana, 66-55

Maryland males’s basketball has been near-unstoppable at residence this season, and it was offered with a serious alternative to choose up a resume-building, ranked win when it welcomed No. 21 Indiana to a vigorous XFINITY Middle Tuesday evening.

The Terps (15-7, 6-5 Huge Ten) struggled on the offensive finish of the ground — taking pictures simply 34% from the sphere and and 22.7% from three — however rode a chic defensive exhibiting to a 66-55 win over the Hoosiers (15-7, 6-5).

Indiana was held to about 19 factors beneath the 73.9 factors per recreation it was averaging in convention competitors getting into Tuesday, turning the ball over 12 instances and unable to benefit from an 18-point, 20-rebound efficiency from junior ahead Trayce Jackson-Davis.

The Terps, who improved their residence file to 12-1 general and 6-0 in convention video games, had their struggles too, however positioned belief in graduate guard Jahmir Younger. He began sizzling by scoring the workforce’s first 5 factors and by no means appeared again, main all scorers with 20 factors; he has scored not less than 20 in all residence Huge Ten video games.

Sophomore ahead Julian Reese additionally put in a powerful exhibiting for Maryland, recording a double-double with 10 factors and 11 rebounds, even whereas typically matched up with the uber-athletic Jackson-Davis. Senior ahead Donta Scott chipped in 19 factors himself — regardless of taking pictures simply 6-of-18 from the ground.

After buying and selling blows for the primary couple of minutes, the Terps started to depend on taking pictures threes to no avail. They began 1-for-10 from past the arc, and Indiana prolonged its result in 22-15 simply over midway via the primary half, forcing Maryland head coach Kevin Willard to burn a timeout.

Willard’s squad rapidly regained its footing after it regrouped, taking part in via its very good protection. The Terps compelled seven turnovers within the opening 20 minutes and didn’t commit any, making an attempt to disrupt Indiana’s makes an attempt to drive the ball inside to Jackson-Davis. Regardless that Jackson-Davis had his method for essentially the most half, managing eight factors and 11 rebounds within the first half, Maryland’s stress compelled Indiana into loads of errors and dared his ensemble to beat it, which it couldn’t.

The Terps turned their defensive success into offense and outscored Indiana 22-7 within the last 9 minutes of the primary half to go into the break up 37-29.

All eight Hoosiers that noticed the court docket scored, however one in every of Jackson-Davis’ common right-hand males barely made an impression. 5-star freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino entered Tuesday averaging 15.4 factors in Huge Ten video games however didn’t convert a subject purpose earlier than solely three minutes and 45 seconds remained within the recreation, held to only a free throw within the first. He completed with a measly three factors on 1-of-14 taking pictures.

The most effective guard on the court docket Tuesday was Hood-Schifino’s reverse, Younger, who exploded as soon as once more. Younger entered the sport averaging 24 factors per recreation in residence Huge Ten contests and continued to show himself as Maryland’s most potent offensive weapon in entrance of a rambunctious XFINITY Middle contingent.

Because the second half started, the Terps’ lead rapidly lessened although, as they — who’ve develop into accustomed to quick second-half begins at residence — turned the ball over 3 times in fast succession.

However Maryland weathered the storm, heading to the under-12 media timeout with a six-point lead after each groups went quiet offensively, taking part in into the favor of a bodily Terps workforce.

Jackson-Davis, who began out ice chilly on the offensive finish within the second half, started to have his method with the Terps within the later phases of the sport however failed to beat a double-digit deficit.

Even with its success at residence this season, the largest unchecked field on Maryland’s resume stays its lack of a convention street win. It’ll get maybe its greatest shot at altering that Saturday when it travels to Minneapolis to tackle last-place Minnesota.

Three issues to know

1. Turnover battle. Not solely did the Terps drive Indiana into committing 12 turnovers, however extra importantly they had been capable of restrict their very own giveaways, solely turning the ball over 5 instances Tuesday. Regardless that their pictures weren’t falling with consistency, they averted permitting Indiana to run in transition and get simple baskets.

2. Maryland overcame poor taking pictures. The Terps didn’t put collectively a traditional offensive efficiency Tuesday however had been capable of make up for it with a implausible efficiency on the opposite finish of the court docket. Jackson-Davis made his presence felt on the stat sheet however nonetheless struggled to take the sport over, and a poor efficiency from Hood-Schifino made the Hoosiers’ uphill climb to come back again from their deficit even steeper.

3. Maryland swept its three-game homestand and is again above .500 in Huge Ten play. The Terps wanted to carry serve at residence to enhance their standing in each the Huge Ten and the postseason image, and so they did simply that. Now on a three-game profitable streak for the primary time in convention play this season — they hadn’t received back-to-back convention video games till beating Nebraska on Saturday — Maryland wants to hold its momentum onto the street to collect wins there.