In the inaugural game of the 2024 Big Ten tournament, Maryland basketball dominated Rutgers, 65-51, to advance to the second round. Four Terps finished in double figures and Maryland’s suffocating defense limited Rutgers to just 31% from the field.
Donta Scott led Maryland with 16 points on only seven field goal attempts, as the Terps were in control from start to finish. Maryland will face fifth-seeded Wisconsin on Thursday at approximately 2:30 p.m.
“Really, really pleased with the way we bounced back,” Maryland head coach Kevin Willard said. “Obviously the last couple games defensively we hadn’t been what we were all season. These guys, I challenged them to come back defensively, and they answered the bell and were great defensively.”
Maryland, who entered play on Wednesday having lost five of its last six conference games, looked like a completely different team from the moment the ball was tipped.
The Terps scored the first 11 points of the game, knocking down their first three attempts from three-point range, and led by as many as 18 points in the first half. Rutgers shot just 31% from the field and shot 2-of-11 from three-point range in the first half.
“It just relaxes us. You can just see it… We’ve played better on the road than we have at home this year for some reason, I have no idea why,” Willard said. “It just seems like we’ve shot the ball better on the road, and these guys, it just relaxes them and gives them a chance to understand, ‘okay, we’re going to go play defense and get stops, and now we’re scoring.’ Psychologically, it’s just a big difference.”
After missing Sunday’s regular season finale, Julian Reese was back in the starting lineup on Wednesday and was able to provide a much-needed interior boost. The junior finished with 12 points and six rebounds in his 28 minutes of play, helping stifle the Scarlett Knights inside with stout defense.
“I think the biggest thing is Juju practiced — we got back late on Sunday, and I brought him back in — I brought the team back really early the next day, and Ju is a great leader. He showed me that he was alright,” Willard said.
“He’s one of the best centers in the country,” he said of Reese, who surpassed 1,000 career points in the victory.
Clifford Omoruyi, the biggest interior threat for Rutgers, was held to just two points on 1-of-7 shooting from the field and only five rebounds as Reese and the Terps held strong. Maryland controlled the glass, out-rebounding Rutgers 45-33.
“Just being able to be connected defensively, limit them to three-point shots. They’re not the greatest shooting team,” Jahmir Young said of Maryland’s defensive success. “So being able to stay locked in, stay packed in on the defensive end and being in gaps was huge. They had a hard time with that.”
Maryland continued to push the pace early on, scoring 10 first-half fast break points. A late jumper by Young gave the Terps a 36-22 halftime lead, as they shot 44% from the field and 4-of-8 from three in the opening half. Maryland recorded 10 assists on 12 first-half field goals.
Young, who finished three rebounds and two assists shy of a triple double, received help from his supporting cast. Freshman wing Jamie Kaiser Jr. earned the start on Wednesday and finished with 11 points, knocking down three from beyond the arc.
“It definitely opens up [the offense],” Kaiser Jr. said of his early three-point success. “Paid for [Reese] to go to work down there, and driving lanes for DeShawn [Harris-Smith] and Jahmir. Just helps the team.”
In the second half, Maryland continued to pull away. The Terps opened the second half on a 15-5 run and eventually led by as many as 26 points as Rutgers failed to find any offensive consistency. Gavin Griffiths led the scoring for Rutgers with 16 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field, but the Scarlett Knights shot just 5-of-21 from three-point range in the loss.
“For me, when we’ve been good, it’s been on the defensive end,” Willard said. “We’ve struggled — we had open shots all night. Unfortunately, just we’ve struggled to shoot the basketball at times, but our defense has kept us in every game. We’ve had seven losses by one possession.”
Not all went right for Maryland, as the Terps became slightly loose with the ball down the stretch to allow Rutgers to end the game on an 11-0 run. Maryland finished with 18 turnovers.
To make things worse, senior point guard Jahari Long went down with an apparent knee injury with 50 seconds left in the game. His status moving forward is uncertain, but his absence would be brutal for Maryland’s guard depth on Thursday and beyond.
The win marked Maryland’s fifth-ever Big Ten tournament win, having joined the conference in the 2014-15 season. In their only matchup this season, Wisconsin defeated Maryland, 74-70, on Feb 20. Thursday’s matchup will air on BTN at 2:30.
Related Links
What Kevin Willard, players said after Big Ten Tournament win vs. Rutgers
Where defensive back recruiting stands for Maryland in 2025 cycle (+)
Jeshaun Jones on NFL prep, growth at Maryland, leaning on old teammates
Jahmir Young leads the way for Maryland in All-Big Ten selections
