The Terps trailed by double digits but ended the game on a lengthy run to snap a three-game losing streak.
Midway through the second half, it looked like Maryland men’s basketball was doomed for a fourth straight loss. Trailing Iowa by 10, the Terps were playing with a distinct lack of energy.
But Maryland quickly reversed its fortunes, chipping away at its deficit by attacking the basket. Before long, the game was tied, and just seconds later the Terps were in the lead.
Maryland ultimately outscored the Hawkeyes by 18 in the second half and marched to a 78-66 win Wednesday in College Park.
“This was a huge win, man,” Maryland (14-11, 6-8 Big Ten) head coach Willard said after the game. “… I’ve seen a lot of teams that have been through this that kind of just don’t come out and fight, and these guys showed great heart.”
The effort was led by guards Jahmir Young and DeShawn Harris-Smith as well as forward Julian Reese. Harris-Smith, a freshman, had a career-high 17 points, and Young was steady as always with a team-best 21 points. Reese, whose niftiness in the post was crucial in the second half, recorded 16 points and 13 rebounds.
“It definitely means a lot for us, especially taking care of business at home,” Reese said of the result. “Just keep playing the games and taking care of what we got to take care of for later in this year. Doing that is just ultimately building confidence for us for later in the season.”
For the second consecutive game, Maryland trotted out a different starting lineup. Last Saturday at Ohio State, Mady Traore and Jamie Kaiser Jr. filled the two spots usually occupied by Harris-Smith and Jordan Geronimo, but Willard turned to Jahari Long and Traore on Wednesday. Entering Wednesday’s contest, the quintet had only shared the court for one minute all season.
The new lineup didn’t provide an immediate spark, as it took until the later stages of the game for the Terps to come together as a cohesive unit. After eight minutes of play, Maryland was just 3-for-12 from the field and had committed five turnovers. On the defensive end, Hawkeyes (14-10, 6-7) forward Payton Sandfort was torching the Terps from beyond the arc, making three of his first four attempts from distance.
With 4:45 left in the first half, Geronimo, who missed the team’s last game and was playing Wednesday with a taped right hand, contested a Sandfort three but landed awkwardly, favoring his right leg. He didn’t play thereafter.
In the opening minutes of the second half, the injury bug bit Maryland again when Traore went down clutching his left knee. He was unable to walk off under his own power, carried by teammates to the locker room. Traore also did not return.
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Willard was unable to provide updates for either Geronimo or Traore after the game.
The Terps trailed by six at the half, 37-31, finding more consistency but failing to slow the Hawkeyes’ offense, which ended the night as the top-scoring unit in the Big Ten. Iowa shot an unremarkable 5-for-13 from three, but made its mark by scoring 14 points off the Terps’ eight first-half giveaways. Maryland, meanwhile, made just two of its 13 first-half 3-point attempts and didn’t shoot a free throw until under a minute remained in the period.
“I think we’ve started off very timid at home for some reason, and we’ve settled for shots,” Willard said. “And one of the biggest things for us, at halftime watching our offense and throughout the second half, is just reminding them that, you know, we are a little bit more athletic. Let’s take advantage of driving. Let’s take advantage of getting the basketball inside.”
The Hawkeyes at one point extended their lead to double digits, but the Terps wisely halted their attempts to shoot from outside and attacked the paint with ferocity. Whether it be drives or post touches, they found success as Iowa began to cool off. Maryland tied the score with seven and a half minutes left and took the lead shortly after.
“Our leaders were able to step up and say something and just correct all the negative things that we were being said, and were able to turn it around,” Reese said.
Eventually, Maryland’s lead grew from slim to substantial, and it never took its foot off the gas.
Three things to know
1. More lineup changes. The Terps had a different starting lineup for their second consecutive game, swapping Kaiser for Long and keeping Traore in the mix. Long and Traore combined for just two points in 22 minutes, although Traore left the game early.
2. Second-half turnaround. Maryland finished the game on a 34-12 run, having its way with Iowa’s leaky defense. The Terps didn’t attempt a three in the final 11:09 of the contest, instead opting to center their offense around the rim.
3. Losing streak snapped. After three straight losses, it looked like Maryland’s season was cratering. Although they still have a long way to go in terms of bettering their standing in the postseason picture, the Terps showed resilience on Wednesday.