The Terps shot 25% from the field in the second half.
No. 18 Maryland men’s basketball has seen its fair share of tight finishes over the course of the season. Some, like a buzzer-beating defeat at the hands of Northwestern, have been heartbreaking. Others, like its away win at Indiana, have served as triumphs.
Thursday’s contest at Ohio State fell into the former category.
Bruce Thornton nailed a clutch 3-pointer with seven seconds left in the contest to hand Maryland its first loss, 73-70, as a ranked program this season.
Despite leading by 17 points in the first half and 11 with 7:15 remaining, the Terps fell into a spell of poor form. Their offense crumbled and Thornton had his way, scoring a game-high 31 points on 11-of-18 shooting.
Maryland stormed out to an 8-0 lead, powered by its dominant interior duo of Derik Queen and Julian Reese, who combined for four straight buckets to open the game. Struggling to communicate on Maryland’s screens, Ohio State called an early timeout.
The Terps were nearly flawless to start, making their first seven shots from the field. Rodney Rice also found his rhythm during this stretch, knocking down three jumpers to extend Maryland’s lead.
However, the game soon evened out. Eight minutes into the first half, Maryland’s lead shrunk to just four points. Despite the Buckeyes shooting just 4-of-13 from the field, a momentum-shifting and-1 3-pointer by Micah Parrish injected energy into both Ohio State and the crowd.
Maryland’s defense disrupted Ohio State’s offensive rhythm early. Reese controlled the glass and came up with an emphatic rejection. With limited success inside, the Buckeyes turned to the perimeter, but misfired on multiple 3-point attempts, allowing the Terps to spark an 8-0 run and build a 29-15 lead.
Ohio State’s top scorers, Thornton and Devin Royal, were virtually silent, managing just one combined point through the first 16 minutes. But the Buckeyes’ struggles extended beyond individual performances — they endured a nearly eight-minute field goal drought in the middle of the half.
Even so, Ohio State closed the period on a high note, stringing together a 6-0 run in the final 1:42. Maryland still entered the break with a nine-point advantage, though.
The second half opened at a much slower pace, with both teams combining for just eight points in the first 4:12. Queen remained aggressive, drawing contact and earning three early free throws.
But as Maryland’s offense stalled — missing six straight shots — Ohio State chipped away. The Terps started the half just 1-of-8 from the field, struggling to convert the midrange looks that had fallen earlier. By the 12:26 mark, the Buckeyes had closed within five points, forcing a Maryland timeout.
The drought worsened, extending to 1-of-12 shooting. Through the first 10 minutes, Ja’Kobi Gillespie remained scoreless in the second half, while Rice managed just one make on four attempts.
Finally, a Reese layup and a Selton Miguel 3-pointer reignited Maryland’s offense. Each time Ohio State threatened, the Terps responded, maintaining an 11-point cushion with 7:15 to play.
But with four minutes left, the Buckeyes managed to cut the lead down to three points, threatening with the home crowd behind them.
Thornton, in particular, would simply not be denied. Spearheading a 9-of-10 shooting stretch, he drilled back-to-back jumpers, the latter being a dagger 3-pointer to put his team ahead with 2:02 left.
Thornton’s game-winning three cemented the Buckeyes’ come-from-behind win, leaving Maryland stunned away from home.
Three things to know
1. Thornton’s comeback. The Ohio State star scored 10 points on 3-of-7 shooting in the first half — by no means his best showing. But in the second half, he illustrated his talent, tallying a whopping 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
2. Reese showed out. Since the beginning of the new year, Reese has been exceptional. He notched 24 points on 7-of-9 shooting, 13 rebounds and two blocks.
3. Win streak broken. The Terps were on a four-game winning streak heading into Thursday’s match, and things looked favorable for most of the game. But thanks to a dismal 7-of-28 shooting performance in the second half, Maryland will return home empty-handed.