Down at halftime on road, Terps dig deep to beat No. 6 Wisconsin for first Big Ten win

During a late timeout, Coach Mark Turgeon broke the whiteboard that coaches use to draw plays, and junior guard Eric Ayala said, “That was the most fired up I’ve seen him in a while — in a positive way.”

The players embraced Turgeon’s energy, believing they would defeat a top-tier team just a few days removed from a deflating loss at Purdue. The Terps had yet to beat a major-conference opponent, but Monday evening they celebrated inside an empty arena.

“Honestly, it was one of the best atmospheres I’ve been in since I’ve been at Maryland,” Ayala said, describing the postgame jubilation.

The Badgers led by as many as eight points early in the second half, but the Terps let that deficit serve as a launching point to the program’s first win over a top-10 opponent since January 2016. Maryland began an 8-0 run with about 15 minutes remaining, fueled by sharp shooting and a switch to zone defense. From that point on, Maryland hit 15 of 17 shots to close the game — all the way to sophomore forward Donta Scott’s emphatic dunk that gave the Terps a five-point cushion with 57 seconds on the clock.

Maryland (6-3, 1-2 Big Ten) still needed to hit free throws to seal the win, and just three days earlier the Terps missed more attempts from the foul line than they made, dooming them against Purdue. But this time, Ayala capped his strong showing by making four straight, and Scott added two more.

The Terps’ trek through the Big Ten will be a gantlet with the conference boasting nine ranked teams, but now Maryland has a win over one of the programs expected to finish near the top. And the way the Terps defeated the Badgers (8-2, 2-1) will give them confidence.

They played well down the stretch, especially on the defensive end. On offense, the Terps’ best players excelled: Ayala scored 17 points, all in the second half, and junior guard Aaron Wiggins had 15 points and nine rebounds. Scott, who has reached double figures in seven straight games, added 12 points.

Apart from a stretch in the first half when Maryland committed four turnovers in less than two minutes, Turgeon was pleased with how his team played. During the second half, Maryland began moving the ball better, playing with patience on offense and waiting for the best shot.

“At halftime, I was like: ‘Guys, we’ve got a lot of basketball left. We have to change the way we’re playing to be successful. We have a chance to be really good if we do that,’” Turgeon said. “And they did it in the second half. That was really the difference.”

Senior guard D’Mitrik Trice led the Badgers with 25 points on 8-for-14 shooting, and he hit a three-pointer with 1:58 left that cut Maryland’s lead to one. But then the Terps generated a composed burst of offense and got a few critical stops.

Maryland will endure a challenging conference slate, particularly through mid-January with only two or three days separating each game. In the next two weeks, the Terrapins will play No. 16 Michigan, Indiana, No. 10 Iowa and No. 15 Illinois.

“Everybody was just excited,” Ayala said. “For the veterans that have been on the team, just trying to stay calm for the younger guys. It was one win. We’ve got a lot more games to go, and it’s just the start of something special.”

Five Wisconsin seniors, all starters, entered Monday’s game averaging at least nine points — Micah Potter, Trice, Brad Davison, Nate Reuvers and Aleem Ford — an impressive display of the team’s depth and experience. Against Maryland, only Trice and Ford (10 points) hit double figures.

After playing solid minutes against Purdue, sophomore center Chol Marial had perhaps the best sequence of his college career against the Badgers. Marial played solid post defense in his three early minutes, recording a block and then scoring with a long two-pointer on Maryland’s next possession. For a Maryland squad that lacks a consistent frontcourt presence, the development of Marial would be a welcome boost. That development must include staying out of foul trouble — Marial drew two quick whistles and went to the bench for the remainder of the game.

With sound defense and bundles of energy, Maryland held the Badgers to 3-for-14 shooting through the first 11 minutes. Wisconsin missed five of its 10 attempts from the foul line in the first half, helping the Terps avoid a larger hole. By halftime, Maryland trailed only 28-24 in the physical, low-scoring game. Neither team led by more than five points in the first half.

But the Terps started the second half cold, and their deficit grew to eight. This time, Maryland had an answer, coming back with a powerful surge that revealed its potential and led to its first Big Ten win.

“It’s big for us because it shows us what we’re capable of,” Wiggins said. “I feel like every game we play, if we play with that amount of composure, that amount of focus and passion, I think we can beat any team in the conference.”