The Terps needed 45 minutes to earn their first Big Ten win, but secured it.
With the shot clock ticking down, less than 40 seconds remaining in overtime and the ball still stuck at the top of the 3-point arc, Maryland men’s basketball put the ball in the hands of its confident leader: graduate guard Jahmir Young.
But instead of taking the shot himself, Young used his elite court vision and slotted a pinpoint pass between two defenders into the waiting hands of a cutting DeShawn Harris-Smith. The freshman rose up and finished through contact, while being fouled, to give Maryland a four-point lead and seal a dramatic 81-75 victory in College Park.
The assist was only Young’s third of the game, but the contest’s most important. He was prolific scoring the ball all game with a game-high 28 points, but when it mattered most, he sent the ball elsewhere in pursuit of a better look.
Although Maryland (5-4, 1-1 Big Ten) eventually came out on top in the extra period, it had the game all but sealed in regulation and let it slip away. With 22.7 seconds remaining, forward Julian Reese was sent to the free-throw line with a chance to take the lead. His missed the first, and although he made the second, it left the door open.
After a Penn State (4-5, 0-2) miss, Harris-Smith was the next to head to the line and also went 1-for-2, extending the lead to two with under five seconds on the clock.
On the ensuing inbound pass, Jahari Long was caught reaching and sent Ace Baldwin Jr. to the line for two shots of his own. The VCU transfer calmly knocked down both, sending the game to overtime knotted at 71.
Reese’s late-game miss didn’t overshadow a dominant performance. For much of the second half, he kept the Terps in the game, grabbing 15 rebounds and posting a career-high 24 points. He also drew 13 fouls in 41 minutes played
Maryland found its rhythm late, but it was a familiar sluggish start on the offensive end. It turned the ball over four times on its first 10 possessions and didn’t cross the double-digit-point threshold until more than 11 minutes elapsed. Lost possessions were a normality, and the Terps looked distressed whenever they tried to penetrate the Nittany Lions’ defense.
Penn State wasn’t overwhelmingly potent either, but pieced together a 30-28 halftime lead. Sophomore guard Kanye Clary, who scored 17 points in his last visit to College Park, led the way with 25 points on the night, 13 of which came in the first half. He provided a highlight-reel moment when he dropped Jahari Long with a crossover and drained a three.
Clary’s 3-pointer was one of only six the Nittany Lions attempted in the first half. Meanwhile, Maryland took 14 in the opening 20 minutes and only hit three, continuing its inability to knock down shots from outside. The Terps went 2-for-11 from beyond the arc thereafter, ending the night as the second-worst 3-point shooting team in all of Division I.
But in the nick of time, the Terps found a groove. They made three consecutive shots to put Penn State on its heels midway through the second half. All of the sudden, a 7-0 run thrust them ahead with under eight minutes to play.
The Terps received boosts from their top threats, most notably Young and Reese, but also others like Jamie Kaiser Jr., who drilled his second three of the game with 3:18 remaining in regulation. But the Nittany Lions had answers, just enough to tie it before the clock hit zero.
However, Penn State missed all eight of its field goal attempts in overtime, with Maryland’s newfound momentum pushing it to its first Big Ten victory.
Three things to know
1. Reese carried the Terps. At times, Reese single-handedly kept Maryland in the game. His physicality and positioning led not only to his impressive statistical performance, but also made Penn State’s forwards uncomfortable. His opposite, Qudus Wahab, fouled out with just over four minutes left in regulation.
2. Freshmen shined. There have been growing pains for the freshman duo of Harris-Smith and Kaiser, but they offered glimpses Wednesday night at what they can offer. They combined for 17 points, many of which came in key moments.
3. First Big Ten win. It took a 45-minute effort, but Maryland notched its first Big Ten win. Given the team’s early-season struggles, it badly needed a conference victory and got it at home, where it has won 14 straight Big Ten contests.