“It's part of the immaturity” Buzz Williams Talks About How Maryland Lost Their Winning Streak To Rutgers
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Maryland men's basketball saw its two-game winning streak come to a sudden end on the road. The Terps fell 68-57 to Rutgers on Sunday afternoon, dropping to 9-15 overall and 2-11 in Big Ten play. After back-to-back close victories, including an upset over ranked Iowa, the team struggled to maintain the same focus and execution against the last-place Scarlet Knights.
Head coach Buzz Williams was straightforward when asked about the loss. Speaking on 105.7 The Fan, he pointed to the team's youth as a key factor behind this performance.
"It's part of the immaturity on the path to maturity to understand this, the specific path and plan that we have to follow," Williams said. "It's just human nature, our guys are humans."
He added that the players had learned from recent losses but still showed gaps in sticking to the game plan. "They've been through a lot in the stretch of losing, where it was convincingly, and then they've learned a lot in the last week.” said Williams, “And I thought that there were too many gaps of, are you sure we have to play exactly that way?"
Sub-par Shooting And Missed Opportunities
Maryland's offense was ice cold for much of the game. The Terps shot just 22-of-66 from the field (33 percent) and 7-of-30 from three-point range (23 percent). That inefficiency made it tough to keep up with Rutgers, who controlled the pace and capitalized on Maryland's mistakes.
Diggy Coit, who had carried the team in recent wins, had an off night. He finished 5-of-19 from the field and 2-of-10 from deep for 12 points. Andre Mills, coming off a career-high 24 against Iowa, scored only 9 points on 3-of-14 shooting and fouled out late.
Darius Adams led the Terps with 13 points in his return to his home state. Solomon Washington was a bright spot with 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. But the rest of the team couldn't find consistent scoring, and the bench provided almost no help.
Williams noted the challenge of playing on the road with this roster. He explained that they just did not have enough possessions on the road with their roster to overcome somebody doing something on their own. According to him, his team simply could not do that.
He also pointed to the second half, where Maryland allowed 41 points after holding Rutgers to 27 in the first. Williams said that they had four turkeys in the first half, using the team's internal term for three straight defensive stops. That was the highest number of turkeys they had had in any half through the 27 halves they had played in Big Ten play.
Free Throws and Rebounding Struggles
Maryland got to the free-throw line only 13 times, making 6. Rutgers shot 24. Williams called it hard math for this team to overcome. Buzz explained that his team needed more free throws and they also needed a higher percentage of free throws made.
Rebounding was another area of concern. Rutgers out-rebounded Maryland 34-25 on the offensive glass, creating extra chances. Washington did his part with 14 boards, but the team as a whole fell short of the 75 percent defensive rebounding rate Williams wants on the road.
Moving Forward
Despite the loss, Williams saw progress in the team's fight. He praised the work ethic of freshmen like Adams and Mills, who are learning the physicality and intensity of Big Ten basketball.
Williams said of Adams that he was learning the level of intensity you have to play at. He explained that Adams has the ability to get fouled and he is realizing the physicality in what this is all about.
Maryland now turns its attention to the rest of February. The schedule includes games against Chicago (Wednesday) and other lower-ranked teams. Williams believes the recent wins showed what this group is capable of when they follow the plan.
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Rituraj Halder is a football junkie. He covers everything from clutch game-day moments to the stories that offer a glimpse into the locker room. Over the years, he’s written for outlets like Pro Sports and Football Network, Esports on Sports Illustrated, Sportskeeda, and EssentiallySports, carving out a voice that blends sharp analysis with genuine passion. Whether it’s breaking down a Big Ten rivalry, highlighting rising stars, or capturing the emotion that fuels the game, Rituraj writes football the way fans feel it: loud, proud, and all in.