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Maryland Cruises Past Minnesota, Plays Indiana in Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals
CHICAGO, Ill. – The underdogs are undefeated no longer.
No. 6 seed Maryland beat No. 14 seed Minnesota 70-54 on Thursday night at the United Center, snapping a five-game win streak by the lower-seeded team in the 2023 Big Ten Tournament. Maryland's pressure defense stifled Minnesota's offense, holding leading scorers Dawson Garcia and Jamison Battle to eight combined points. The Terrapins advance to the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals on Friday, where they'll face No. 3 seed Indiana.
"I want them to enjoy this moment," Maryland coach Kevin Willard said. "We have four or five guys that will never play college basketball again. I want them to be able to sit back and realize this is a lot of fun. This time of the year is what you work for."
Minnesota kept things close for most of the first half, but Maryland began to take control with a 3-pointer from Donta Scott near the seven-minute mark. This shot sparked a 13-4 run that helped the Terrapins build a 31-24 lead at halftime.
Despite his team's advantage at halftime, Maryland leading scorer Jahmir Young (16.3 ppg) scored just one point in the first half, which came with 1:14 remaining. Maryland finished tied for eighth in the Big Ten with a 32.7 3-point field goal percentage in the regular season, but the Terrapins shot 6-for-12 from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes of action. Scott led the way with 16 first-half points.
Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Braeden Carrington (4) defends Maryland Terrapins forward Donta Scott (24) during the Big Ten Men s Basketball Tournament game, Thursday, March 9, 2023, at United Center in Chicago. Maryland Terrapins won 70-54.
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Maryland started the second half with a slam dunk from Julian Reese, which set the tone for the rest of the way. Don Carey drained a 3-pointer on the following possession, and Maryland used full-court pressure to keep Minnesota uncomfortable. The Gophers turned the ball over 15 times, which led to 19 Maryland points the other way.
Minnesota's leading scorer Dawson Garcia (15.7 ppg) picked up his fourth foul with 14:02 remaining, and Maryland limited him throughout the night. Garcia scored six points on 2-for-7 shooting, but freshman forward Pharrel Payne finished close to his season high with 17 points. It was also a quiet night for the Gophers' second leading scorer, Jamison Battle, who scored two points on 1-for-8 shooting.
"We just wanted to stay home on Garcia and Battle," Willard said. "I thought over the last three games they've been really finding each other, playing well off each other ... It was more or less just staying home and not getting in scramble situations and just making them score over us."
Minnesota made one last push with back-to-back 3-pointers from Braeden Carrington to cut the deficit to nine points, but Maryland was quick to stop Minnesota's comeback hopes, pushing the lead back to 14.
After a quiet first half, Young finished with 15 points, thanks largely to a 9-for-11 night at the free throw line. Scott led the Terrapins with 20 points on 4-for-8 3-point shooting, while Reese and Carey finished in double figures as well.
It was a step in the right direction for a Maryland squad that has struggled away from home this season. The Terrapins went 16-1 at the Xfinity Center, but 2-9 in true road games with its only wins over Louisville (4-28) and Minnesota (9-22). Maryland went 2-1 at neutral sites in the regular season, defeating Saint Louis and Miami (FL) and losing to Tennessee.
"I think just getting back on a neutral court was really nice, to be honest with you," Willard said. "We played well neutral, so I just thought after two tough losses on the road and playing really well the two games before that, it was good to kind of get a different feel."
Maryland Terrapins head coach Kevin Willard directs his team against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first half at United Center.
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
With this win, Maryland advances to the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament, where they'll face No. 3 seed Indiana on Friday night at the United Center. This matchup is scheduled to tip off 25 minutes after the conclusion of Penn State versus Northwestern, which begins at 6:30 p.m. ET.
The Terrapins and Hoosiers played once this season, a 66-55 Maryland victory on Jan. 31 at the Xfinity Center in College Park, Md. Young led Maryland with 20 points on 6-for-15 shooting in this game, followed by Scott with 19 points on 6-for-18 shooting.
Maryland applied a steady full-court press against Indiana, which slowed the Hoosiers down and kept their offense out of sync. It was an especially rough night for Jalen Hood-Schifino, who shot 1-for-14 overall with four turnovers. Trayce Jackson-Davis scored 18 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, but Indiana was held to its second-lowest scoring output of the season.
After securing a double-bye for the tournament, Indiana has an extra day of rest before Friday's matchup. Maryland coach Kevin Willard called Trayce Jackson-Davis the best player in college basketball before their first game on Jan. 31, but he declined to give any thoughts on Indiana after Maryland's win over Minnesota.
