The Terps surrendered 50 points in the second half, quickly watching their lead dissipate.
Maryland men’s basketball looked sure to cruise to a victory over Indiana in its final home game of the season. Up 16 points just minutes into the second half, Maryland was playing some of its best basketball of the season.
But as has been the case all season, the Terps found a way to lose, 83-78, continuing a massively disappointing season rapidly nearing its conclusion. With the defeat, the Terps are officially guaranteed to play in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament as a bottom-four seed.
“Indiana was beating us down the court,” Maryland head coach Kevin Willard said.
With its defensive prowess — ranked top 10 in the country — Maryland’s lead should’ve held. Instead, the Hoosiers exploded in the final 20 minutes, scoring 50 points on 73.1% shooting. At one point, they made 13 consecutive field goals, the last of which gave them their first lead since early in the first half. They then scored nine consecutive points to take an 11-point lead.
Indiana forward Mackenzie Mgbako was a massive contributor in the second-half explosion, as he scored 18 of his game-high 24 points in the latter period.
When the 2023-24 season began, it was expected that Maryland men’s basketball’s trio of Young, Scott and Julian Reese would be paramount to the Terps’ success.
Unfortunately for them, success hasn’t been in the books for Willard’s squad, and that theme continued Sunday. The trio combined for 34 points in the first half, but just 19 in the second.
The Big Ten’s second-worst offense was strong throughout, but it was unable to overcome Indiana. The Terps shot a solid 48.4% from the field, scoring over 30 points in each half, but their defense cost them, a rare sight this season.
“It was just our transition defense,” Willard said. “[Indiana] really pushed the pace on us.”
Maryland was once again plagued by poor 3-point shooting, and poor 3-point defense. It went 9-of-24 from beyond the arc, many of the misses coming during Indiana’s second-half run, while it allowd the Hoosiers to hit timely triples.
Maryland started off very well in the second half, led by Young, who created 11 of the team’s first 15 points. The Terps got out to a 17-11 lead, which became a nine-point advantage shortly after.
Maryland went on to shoot over 51% in the first half, taking plenty of momentum into the break. That momentum dramatically flipped at the midway point of the second half.
“When we’ve played good offensively, we’ve struggled defensively. When we’ve played good defensively, we’ve struggled offensively,” Willard said.
Sunday’s game kicked off with Maryland’s seniors, Young, Scott Jordan Geronimo and Jahari Long getting honored pregame. Long, who has not been a regular starter for Maryland, was given the opportunity.
That turned out to be the happiest part of the afternoon for them, who somberly walked off the court after a crushing defeat.
Three things to know
1. Defensive struggles. Indiana was averaging just over 72 points per game entering Sunday. Down 43-33 at the half, it made 19 of its final 26 shots.
2. A sad senior day. Young and Scott got their curtain calls in the final minute and gave Willard a hug before walking to the bench with their heads in their hands.
Scott is Maryland’s all-time leader in games played, and Young is one of the best guards in recent program history. They combined for 37 points.
“As a coach, I’m extremely appreciative of their effort, their hard work, their attitude and they’re both terrific young men,” Willard said.
3. No bye. With Sunday’s defeat, Maryland can no longer earn a bye in the Big Ten Tournament. Its only path to an NCAA Tournament bid is to win five straight games in as many days.