The Terps hit the road on a two-game winning streak.
Following perhaps its most well-rounded win of the season, Maryland men’s basketball returns to action Saturday in a rematch against Michigan State.
The Terps downed Nebraska last Saturday in a convincing 73-51 victory, their largest margin of victory against a power conference opponent this season. Forward Julian Reese was the leading force behind the victory, with a dominant 15-point, 16-rebound performance — his 10th double-double of the season. Freshman Jamie Kaiser Jr. also posted a career-high 14 points, shooting 4-of-5 from three.
Maryland will now travel to East Lansing, Michigan, hoping to improve on its 3-6 record away from XFINITY Center. Saturday’s game will begin at 5:30 ET and air on FOX.
What happened last time
Maryland fell to the Spartans, 61-59, in College Park less than two weeks ago on Jan. 21.
The Terps started the night off in a competitive battle, consistently trading leads with Michigan State. But then the Spartans rallied for a 17-1 run — led by Tre Holloman and his eight points — to secure a 44-32 halftime lead.
However, Maryland allowed just 17 points in the final 20 minutes of play to crawl back into the game. With less than 10 seconds remaining, star guard Jahmir Young corralled a rebound, but turned the ball over before he could put up a potential game-winning shot.
The turnover marked Young’s seventh and the Terps’ 18th of the night. Maryland put up a strong offensive showing otherwise, shooting 42% from the field and 36.4% from three, both exceeding the team’s season averages.
Young (19 points), forward Donta Scott (16) and Reese (10) were the only Terps to amass double-digit points, with Reese also notching 12 rebounds and three blocks.
On the other side, Michigan State was lights-out from beyond the arc, shooting 43.8% from three and committing just eight turnovers.
The loss marked Maryland’s fifth in conference play and eighth overall this season.
What’s happened since
Maryland has gone 2-0 since its first meeting with the Spartans.
Its first game was a 69-67 win over Iowa — its first win in a one-possession game this season — as Young laid in the game-winning shot with less than two seconds remaining. Young, Reese and Scott carried the load yet again, scoring 22, 17 and 14 points, respectively. The win snapped a two-game skid and showcased the Terps’ shooting ability, as they made 46.7% of their threes.
The second game was the aforementioned win over Nebraska, marking the Cornhuskers’ sixth loss of the season.
Michigan State had an up-and-down week, losing to No. 6 Wisconsin, 81-66, before blowing out Michigan, 81-62.
Spartans lead guard Tyson Walker, who is averaging 18.9 points and 2.0 steals per game this season, has struggled mightily since his 15-point outing against the Terps, averaging just 11.5 points per game on 32.1% shooting from the field since.
However, guards A.J. Hoggard and Jaden Akins have stepped up, combining for 38 points against Michigan.
Three things to watch
1. A shortened rotation. Maryland head coach Kevin Willard’s rotation consisted of 11 players early in the year, but as Big Ten play has unwound, it seems he’s found a consistent rotation. Over the last three games, Kaiser and Jahari Long are the only bench players to receive consistent and significant minutes. Against Nebraska, the two combined for 25 points.
2. Maryland’s on fire from three. Over the last two games, Maryland has been uncharacteristically good from three, shooting 43.9%. The Terps have also shot more than 35% from three in each of their last four games, a significant improvement from their season average of 29.7%.
3. Another double-double for Reese? Reese has dominated over the last few games, recording a double-double in two of the last three contests and at least nine rebounds in each of the last seven games. After disappearing in a few games earlier in the season, Reese has returned to controlling the paint.