Maryland men’s basketball blitzes Nebraska, 73-51

Written By ApurbaDa January 27, 2024 Add Comment

Nebraska v Maryland — Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images

The Terps won their second straight game with a convincing defeat of the Cornhuskers.

As Jamie Kaiser Jr. walked off the court with under two minutes left, the Maryland men’s basketball fans rose from their seats and serenaded him with a round of applause. The freshman guard had provided a key spark off the bench, hitting four threes and contributing a career-high 14 points in Maryland’s 73-51 victory over Nebraska on Saturday in College Park.

Nebraska (15-6, 5-5 Big Ten) entered Saturday averaging the most made threes per game in the Big Ten. Meanwhile, Maryland’s opponents have clogged the lane all season and dared it to take outside jumpers. Generally speaking, this strategy has been very successful, as the Terps (13-8, 5-5) came into Saturday’s game with the third-worst 3-point shooting percentage among power conference teams.

As such, the Cornhuskers must have been taken aback when Kaiser and Maryland came out of the gates ready for a shootout. 10 combined threes accounted for 30 of the game’s first 38 points, and Maryland was more than holding its own. Kaiser showed out with three 3-pointers in a span of three minutes, helping facilitate a shooting barrage that gave the Terps a comfortable lead they never relinquished.

Jahari Long, the only other player to come off Maryland’s bench until the closing minutes, also provided three triples. He has been a revelation off the bench for Maryland of late, hitting multiple threes in each of Maryland’s last three games. His 3-pointer that came five minutes into Saturday’s game ignited the Terps’ offense.

Before that shot, it looked like Maryland was destined for another disappointing offensive showing. The Cornhuskers led 12-2, making four of their first five 3-point attempts while Maryland was just 1-for-6 from the field. But all of the sudden, a switch flipped, and Maryland put together arguably its most fluid offensive half of the season to enter halftime up 44-27.

Maryland imposed itself on the glass, grabbing 22 first-half rebounds — twice the Cornhuskers’ total. The Terps also won the offensive rebounding battle, 10-2, allowing them to hoist 14 more field goals in the period. They finished with 43 rebounds to Nebraska’s 25 and a whopping 17-3 advantage on the offensive glass, resulting in 18 second-chance points.

On the other end, Nebraska was entirely quieted by Maryland’s defense. The Cornhuskers made zero shots in the last seven minutes of the first half, and despite shooting 7-for-13 from three in the period — their usual recipe for success — they entered the break desperate for answers. Terps forward Jordan Geronimo was particularly active in stifling the road team, accounting for two early blocks and contributing three first-half steals.

Similar struggles plagued Nebraska in the latter period and Maryland kept up its scoring barrage, which extended the Terps’ lead into the twenties. It stayed there for most of the second half, allowing the home team to coast to their second consecutive victory.

Maryland was able to put together a complete performance despite a mild showing from its best player. Graduate guard Jahmir Young, the Terps’ undoubted leader who willed them to victory with a game-winning layup at Iowa earlier in the week and has averaged over 25 points in the month of January, finished with 12 points and nine rebounds but went only 5-for-15 from the field.

Picking up the slack was junior forward Julian Reese, who imposed his will in the paint by brushing aside Nebraska’s players to make room for rebounds and finishes near the rim. He finished with 15 points and 16 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season.

Three things to know

1. Bench production. Maryland didn’t extend its bench far on Saturday, but it didn’t need to. Long and Kaiser contributed 25 combined points, the most Maryland’s bench has scored against power conference opposition this season.

2. Rebounding battle. Led by Reese, Maryland entirely dominated on the boards. It corralled 18 more rebounds than the Cornhuskers, key in a runaway victory.

3. Moving on up. Just two weeks ago, Maryland was on pace to be a bottom-four seed in the Big Ten Tournament. But with Saturday’s win, the Terps are now sixth in the Big Ten standings, with the opportunity to move into fifth should Illinois defeat Indiana later in the day.

from Testudo Times - All Posts https://ift.tt/gDb9UVe