Maryland basketball led by as many as 16 points in its final home game of the season, but a second-half defensive meltdown allowed Indiana to take control and pull out an 83-78 victory on Sunday.
After taking a ten-point lead into halftime, Maryland scored eight of the first 10 second-half points and looked well on its way to a massive win on senior day. Indiana responded by making 13 consecutive field goals to jump in front. The Hoosiers went on a 17-3 extended run over a six-minute stretch, which coincided with a nearly six-minute Maryland scoring drought.
Indiana shot 19-of-26 from the field in the second half and made six of its final eight shots to slam the door on any Maryland comeback attempt. Mackenzie Mgbako scored 24 points for the Hoosiers, 18 of which came in the second half as the freshman made five consecutive shots.
“They really pushed the pace on us,” Maryland head coach Kevin Willard said following the loss. “And it was kind of tough because they weren’t really doing anything in the half court, but they were really attacking us in transition… We kind of get stuck where it’s like, when we play good offensively, we struggle defensively and when we play good defensively we struggle offensively. We’ve never been able to put both things together.”
Jahmir Young finished with 22 points, five rebounds and six assists in his final game in College Park. The fifth-year senior and Maryland’s leading scorer was honored prior to the game, having scored 1,000 points in just shy of two seasons for the Terps.
Donta Scott’s five-year Maryland tenure also ended on Sunday as the forward knocked down four three-pointers en route to a 15-point performance. Scott has played the most games in Maryland basketball history.
“I think Jahmir and Donta more than anybody… have done a great job of laying the foundation of how we want to work and what we want to do,” Willard said. “And obviously if you look at their numbers they’ve had a heck of a career.”
Julian Reese and Jahari Long also finished in double figures for Maryland. Reese, who added another double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, was held to only two points on three second-half shots.
Maryland dominated the paint in the first half, outscoring Indiana 20-8. Young and Reese were able to get to the basket at will, as the Terps shot 52% from the floor in the opening 20 minutes. Maryland scored 10 points off nine Indiana turnovers.
With 17:51 remaining, Young completed an and-one to give Maryland a convincing 51-35 lead. From that moment on, it was all Indiana. The Hoosiers began their ascent towards the lead as Mgbako led the charge. Free throws and a layup by Trey Galloway gave Indiana the lead at 66-64 with just over eight minutes to go.
“He got hot from three and we didn’t do a good job in transition defense finding him early and taking away his threes,” Young said of Mgbako. “He had a great game, he’s a great shooter so hats off to him.”
A 15-0 run ensued, as Maryland’s poor offensive play combined with the scorching play of the Hoosiers, who opened up a double-digit lead. Consecutive threes by Scott and Young brought the deficit down to five points with just under two minutes to go, but four straight points by Xavier Johnson put the game out of reach.
Maryland falls to 15-15 with the loss and 7-12 in Big Ten play. The Terps will play one final game, next Sunday at Penn State, before the conference tournament beginning on March 13. The loss also cemented a first round appearance for Maryland in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.
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