Maryland holds off Nebraska, win 72-70
Maryland halted a furious comeback by Nebraska in the second half to win 72-70 on Tuesday night at the Xfinity Center. With the win, the Terrapins extend their win streak to seven and keep their unbeaten home record alive at 14-0.
The block made by Jalen Smith on Cam Mack's shot with four seconds remaining in the game helped secure the Terrapins' victory.
Smith finished the night with a double-double, scoring 16 points and 13 rebounds. He shot an impressive 70 percent from the field, being Maryland's most consistent player.
The Terrapins dominated the first half, shooting 40.7 percent from the field and led by as many as 13 points. Maryland, per usual, started the game slow, with Nebraska trailing only 8-7 with 16:32 on the clock after Thorir Thorbjarnarson's 3-point jumper.
Anthony Cowan was sent to the free throw line often in the first half, draining nine of 11 attempts. The Terrapins went into halftime with a 38-25 lead.
As for Nebraska, they converted only 27.3 percent of their field goals, including 3-20 (.150) from behind the arc by the half. Maryland outplayed them from the start.
Although the Cornhuskers were not able to retake the lead the second half, they shrunk the deficit down to one after Mack converted two free throw attempts with 14 seconds remaining in the game. They drastically improved their performance in the second half, converting 54.8 percent of their shots.
Despite the rally by Nebraska, Maryland escaped with the win. The Terrapins improve their overall record to 20-4, running away with first place in the Big Ten. It was a special night for Mark Turgeon, as it was his 200th win at Maryland.
Maryland will travel to East Lansing, Michigan to play Michigan State on Saturday, February 15th at 6PM eastern time.
