Instant Reaction: No. 6 Maryland 60, No. 3 Indiana 70

The Indiana Hoosiers got their revenge against Maryland basketball as they advance to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals with a 70-60 victory.

Trayce Jackson-Davis made his presence felt everywhere on the floor, finishing with 24 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, four blocks, and three steals. He showed why he was a unanimous All-Big Ten First-Team selection. Jalen Hood Schifino used the pick-and-roll and midrange game to score 19 points to go along with six rebounds, three blocks, and two assists. Both of these guys were dynamic playmakers for the Hoosiers against Maryland.

Hakim Hart had a team-high 16 points for the Terps. Jahmir Young and Donta Scott struggled to get shots to go down when the Terps needed them. They were a combined 7-of-29 from the field. That’s not going to get it done in the postseason. Yet again, Maryland frontcourt players got into foul trouble. Patrick Emilien fouled, and Julian Reese finished with four fouls.

Indiana starts strong and sets the tempo early

Coming into this game, head coach Kevin Willard understood that the two players Maryland needed to contain were All-Big Ten honorees Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jalen Hood Schifino. They were going to use the pick and roll to create opportunities for Indiana to score. Those guys carried the load offensively as the Hoosiers made their first five shots to jump out to an 11-5 lead. They controlled the paint the entire game and won that battle 36-18.

Maryland basketball recovers with inside-out action

The Terps jumped out to a 12-0 run halfway through the first half by getting the ball inside and draining perimeter shots. Hakim Hart and Don Carey had the hot hand from deep, combining for 4-of-8 from out there, and it paid dividends. While they were able to jump out to a 27-20 lead late, the Hoosiers’ defense kept the Terps’ offense at bay. Hood-Schifino and Jackson-Davis scored the final four points of the half, and they went into halftime down two, 34-32.

The second half wasn’t kind to Maryland. They couldn’t buy a bucket since the 16:04 mark, and Indiana’s 15-0 run gave them a 54-43 lead. Hold on, Maryland basketball wasn’t done yet. Carey hit his third three of the game and Hart got a layup in traffic to cut the Hoosiers’ lead to 54-48. Unfortunately for Maryland, their offense was stifled down the stretch and they couldn’t make a comeback.

Reflecting on Kevin Willard’s first Big Ten Tournament 

Friday wasn’t Maryland’s night against Indiana. The Hoosiers set the tone from the beginning with their pace, they were more physical in the paint and on the boards, and the Hoosiers took advantage of the Terps’ foul trouble. Kevin Willard had the Terps rolling against Minnesota, but Indiana’s size was something that couldn’t be overcome.

A quarterfinal loss in the Big Ten Tournament isn’t that bad when you consider what Willard did in his first regular season. He coached this team to an 8-0 start, 11 wins in the conference, and a sixth seed in the conference tournament.

Maryland basketball is projected as an eighth seed in the West region according to Joe Lunardi’s bracketology.

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