Maryland's Furious Last-Minute Comeback Stuns Indiana

Maryland scores the final seven points of the game to stun Indiana 77-76 on Sunday at Assembly Hall.
Maryland's Furious Last-Minute Comeback Stuns Indiana
Maryland's Furious Last-Minute Comeback Stuns Indiana /

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Ranked teams have been coming and going from Indiana's Assembly Hall with losses for the better part of a year, but Maryland changed all that Sunday with a furious last-minute rally to win 77-76.

The Terrapins scored the last seven points of the game in the final 1:11, making their final three shots while the Hoosiers missed both of theirs and had a turnover. Indiana had a chance on the last possession, but freshman Trayce Jackson-Davis' spin move and roll to the basket rolled off the rim as time expired.

With the victory, Maryland moved to 16-4 overall — the best mark in the Big Ten — and 6-3 in the league, trailing only Illinois. Indiana is 5-4 in the Big Ten and 15-5 overall, losing despite making only six turnovers the entire game.

The Hoosiers had no answer for Jalen Smith, Maryland's smooth sophomore forward who scored 29 points, including five 3-pointers. He angered Hoosiers fans at the end of the game by slapping the Indiana logo on the floor instead of heading to the locker room.

Maryland had been awful on the road in the Big Ten prior to Sunday. The Terps were just 1-3 and even in their lone win, they were behind 15 at Northwestern on Tuesday before making 8 3-pointers in 17 minutes in the second half.

It was a similar showing early against Indiana, too, as the Terrapins played five-out and forced Indiana's big men to guard the perimeter. They didn't do much guarding, and the Terps made 9 3-pointers in the first half alone, building a lead as large as 14 points at 38-24 on a Darryl Morsell long ball. Seven different guys hit 3-pointers.

Indiana nibbled back late in the first half to trail by only nine points (45-36) at the break, but then immediately got right back in the game with the first seven points of the half. Freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis and junior center Joey Brunk scored in the paint and then Al Durham hit an open 3-pointer.

A few minutes later, at the 16:23 mark, Brunk scored again on a layup off a pretty pass from point guard Rob Phinisee and the Hoosiers had their first lead of the game at 46-45.

Then, for 15 minutes, it was all Indiana.

Four minutes later, Indiana went on another run, scoring seven straight points to grab a 60-52 lead. Maryland, which had scored 27 points in the first 9 minutes of the first half, scored only seven in the first 9 minutes of the second.

Maryland kept battling, getting as close as five points at times, but Indiana kept matching them basket for basket. When Jerome Hunter made a free throw with 2:37 left, Indiana was back ahead by seven at 74-67.

The Terps couldn't get over the hump until the final minute, but that was all they needed .

Point guard Anthony Cowan answered with a 3-pointer — their 11th of the game — and Green missed from long range on the other end. After a stop, Indiana scored on a Green drive to make it 76-70. Maryland scored with 1:07 to go on a Jalen Smith layup to make it 76-72, and then forced a quick turnover with a press.

Aaron Wiggins hit a 3-pointer to get to 76-75. Green, who led Indiana with 16 points, missed a pull-up jumper and then Smith scored on the other end with 14.5 seconds to go to put Maryland back ahead.

Jackson-Davis' last effort came up short. Maryland swept the season series with the Hoosiers, who had won 4 of 5 games since losing at Maryland on Jan. 3.


Published
Tom Brew
TOM BREW

Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist who has worked at some of America's finest newspapers as a reporter and editor, including the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, the Indianapolis Star and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered college sports in the digital platform for the past six years, including the last five years as publisher of HoosiersNow on the FanNation/Sports Illustrated network.