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National media reacts to Maryland's massive win over No. 17 Illinois

Chris Breiler|
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Maryland Terrapins

The Maryland Terrapins hit the court last night to take on No. 17 Illinois in a hostile environment and in desperate need of road win. Entering Thursday night's matchup, the Terps were 0-4 on the road this season and hadn't won a true road game since Feb. 25, 2024. With pressure building on the program, head coach Kevin Willard and his Terrapin squad delivered in a massive way. Not only did Maryland defeat Illinois, the Terrapins dominated the Fighting Illini from start to finish.

Maryland Basketball
Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Led by big men Julian Reese and Derik Queen, the Terps imposed their will and played a physical brand of ball that was just too much to Illinois to handle. Reese and Queen combined for 52 points, 23 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. Even more impressive is the fact that the Terrapins scored a whopping 62 points in the paint, the most by any Big Ten team so far this season. At one point in the second half, the lead ballooned to 21 points.

Not only did the win give the Terps their first road win of the season, it also sent a powerful message to the rest of the Big Ten teams that Maryland is a legitimate threat in this conference. The road ahead doesn't get much easier, with matchups at Indiana, home against No. 18 Wisconsin, and at Ohio State all on the horizon. But for now, fans are enjoying the possibility that Maryland may have turned a corner in 2025, one that could propel the Terrapins on a deep run in March.

Here are some of the top social media reactions from Thursday night's win:

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Chris Breiler
CHRIS BREILER

Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. In January of 2025, he took over as Publisher for Maryland On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.

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