Maryland Coach Kevin Willard Says Victory Over No. 3 Purdue 'Was Not a Surprise'

"We had three great days of practice," Willard said after Maryland's 68-54 win over No. 3 Purdue on Thursday. "I knew we were going to win. This was not a surprise to me."

D.J. Fezler | Feb 17, 2023

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Maryland became the most recent college basketball team to knock off Purdue, something that's become a common occurrence over the last two weeks as the Boilermakers have fallen in three of their last four games.

The Terrapins, who entered Thursday's matchup with an undefeated mark at home in Big Ten play so far this season, remained perfect against conference opponents with a 68-54 victory over No. 3 Purdue at the Xfinity Center.

The win marked Maryland's first over an AP top-five program since taking down No. 3 Iowa in 2016. Following the sound of the final buzzer, students flooded the court in celebration, a sight that Purdue has been forced to witness on three separate occurrences throughout the 2022-23 season.

However, for Terrapins first-year head coach Kevin Willard, the win came without shock. It was the team's fourth victory over a ranked opponent so far this season.

"We had three great days of practice," Willard said after the game. "I knew we were going to win. This was not a surprise to me."

Purdue led by a small margin for the majority of the first half and built an eight-point advantage in the opening minutes after halftime. But a technical foul called on junior forward Mason Gillis shifted the momentum in favor of Maryland, who went on a 29-4 run to take full control of the game.

The Terrapins held a 61-43 lead with under six minutes left to play. The 18-point advantage was their largest of the game. Purdue was led by freshman guard Braden Smith and junior center Zach Edey, who each scored 18 points.

But the Boilermakers were dominated on the glass, being outrebounded by a 35-23 margin, which was their largest deficit all season. The Terrapins came down with 10 offensive rebounds and scored nine second-chance points.

Purdue fell to 23-4 overall, including 12-4 in Big Ten play, and now holds a one-game lead over second-place Northwestern in the conference standings. Maryland improved to 18-8 (9-6 Big Ten) with the win, and the team enjoyed its accomplishment away from the chaos inside the arena.

"The locker room was awesome," Willard said. "The court storming was for the students and the fans but the locker room was what it was all about. It was great. I told them I was very proud of them and that they earned it. They worked hard."

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