Terrapins get physical in stopping No. 21 Indiana’s win streak
COLLEGE PARK — Maryland brought the physicality to one of the Big Ten’s hottest teams, stopping No. 21 Indiana’s five-game win streak in beating the Hoosiers 66-55 in front of a loud, late-night Xfinity Center crowd Tuesday.
Point guard Jahmir Young led all scorers with 20 points, and forward Donta Scott added 19, marking the third-straight game the pair have combined for more than 30 and the 13th time this season.
Julian Reese finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds, but his biggest contribution was helping to disrupt Indiana star forward Trayce Jackson-Davis.
Maryland coach Kevin Willard called Jackson-Davis “the best player in college basketball right now” earlier this week. His team attacked him all night long like that was the case.
Jackson-Davis finished with a double-double, 18 points and 20 rebounds, but was flustered all night long by the Terrapins’ pressure and cooled off from his nearly 26-point-per-game average during the Hoosiers’ win streak. Guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, Indiana’s second-leading scorer, only managed 3 points and was held scoreless in the first half.
For Maryland (15-7, 6-5 Big Ten), it’s their ninth-straight win at home against a Big Ten opponent — the most in a season since joining the conference in 2014. It’s also the first in four tries against the Hoosiers, providing a significant boost to their chances of making March’s NCAA Tournament.
Indiana (15-7, 6-5) utilized no-look passes and movement through the paint early to create easy looks at the basket. But Young was able to answer for Maryland, scoring seven of the Terrapins’ first nine points.
Issues with shooting from three-point range — one of the most inconsistent parts of Maryland’s offense — came from all over in the first half.
After shooting 50% from deep in the first half Saturday against Nebraska, the Terrapins started 1-of-9, with Don Carey, Donta Scott, Jahari Long and Hakim Hart putting up bad looks amidst a 3:00-long streak without a made shot.
They finished the half 4-of-15 from the range, only a 26.7% clip. Two come them came in back-to-back fashion, from Scott and Young, to trim what had grown to a seven point Indiana lead down two one, 24-23, with 6:34 until halftime.
The lack of three-point success was offset by Maryland’s calling card on this night: Physicality and pressure. A stifling presence forced seven Indiana first-half turnovers (Maryland committed none) and led to 10 Hoosier fouls in the frame. For the second-straight game, thirteen of Maryland’s first-half points came from the foul line, with the Terrapins taking a 37-29 lead into the break.
Led by Julian Reese, Maryland made life inhospitable for Jackson-Davis all night long. Constant double-team defense, hands in his face, and disrupting his passing lanes limited the magic the IU star is normally able to orchestrate.
Hood-Schifino, his talented freshman teammate, was shaken all night long by it, not looking like the player that averages nearly 13 points a game as Indiana’s second-leading scorer. He finished 1-of-14 from the floor.
The Terrapins struggled to score for lengths of the second half, but their pressure did not yield, holding Indiana to 32.3% from the field in the final 20:00.
Only five of Young’s 18 came after halftime, which is when Scott turned in one of his finest halves of the season. His will to win was palpable, backing down IU’s Race Thompson multiple times in scoring 10 second-half points on 4-9 shooting. The Philadelphian scored eight of Maryland’s final 12 points to secure the win.
