Indiana ousted Maryland in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten
Hoosiers star Trayce Jackson-Davis fueled his team’s win over sixth-placed Maryland. He scored 24 points and sent Indiana into the semifinals against No. 10 seeded Penn State on Saturday. As the arena emptied, a few remaining fans chanted, “TJD!” as the senior settled into the court for a post-game interview.
“It felt like a home game out there,” Jackson-Davis said.
The Terrapins (21-12) held a slim lead in the final 10 minutes of the first half and second, but the third-seeded Hoosiers fell short and eventually broke through with a dominant 15-0 run. When Maryland coach Kevin Willard called a time-out with 9:27 left, an Indiana player hopped around the court with his team, which was 11 in the lead. Jackson-Davis yelled at the crowd and Indiana fans filled the arena with a piercing roar.
The terps never recovered from this drought, which lasted more than five minutes. They reduced their deficit to six points several times, but did not come any closer.
Maryland has lost three of its last four games, but Willard downplayed concerns about his team, saying, “I think we played damn well.”
Indiana’s stars carried the burden for the Hoosiers: Jackson-Davis, the versatile forward who averaged nearly 2,200 points and more than 1,100 rebounds in four years at Indiana, combined with Jalen Hood-Schifino (19 points), freshman of the year with the Big Overwhelm Ten Maryland. Jackson-Davis did a little bit of everything, adding seven assists, nine rebounds, four blocks and three steals to his scoring production.
“I don’t want robots,” Indiana’s coach Mike Woodson said, describing how he wants his big men to be playmakers. “I want guys who feel good about what they’re doing when they’re out there on the ground, and Trayce is a prime example.”
Indiana penalized Maryland with 13 fast break points, and swapping baskets helped Hood-Schifino gain momentum. When the Terps beat the Hoosiers at home earlier this season, they limited the freshman to just three points.
In the postseason matchup between the teams, the Terrapins shot just 32.3 percent from the field. Although four starters scored double digits, none could match the Hoosiers’ star power.
The Terps have never won more than one conference tournament game since joining the Big Ten, and Willard failed to make a breakthrough in his first season as Maryland coach. The Terps are 4-8 in the Big Ten tournament since joining the league.
Maryland allowed the Hoosiers to score on their first five holdings before the Terps started a wave of their own. The Terps later capitalized on an 11-0 run to forge a seven-point lead that Indiana cut to two by the break.
The competition remained tight early in the second half before the Hoosiers delivered the game-winning run. Indiana took a lead when Hood-Schifino made one of two free throws after Maryland forward Julian Reese recorded his fourth foul at 12:23. That came early on in Indiana’s dominance, and the celebration of this pro-Indiana crowd has been vigorous from then on.
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Young’s troubles continue
In Maryland’s matchup against Minnesota in Thursday’s second round, the Golden Gophers included Jahmir Young, the Terrapins’ standout senior guard. Young finished that game just 3 to 13 from the field, and his struggles continued in the quarterfinals, where Young had just 3 field goals from 15 and had a 1-to-5 mark from three-point range.
Young had six points in the last four minutes, but the Terps never made a serious push after Indiana’s crucial run. Young’s 12 points was second on the team behind Hakim Hart’s 16. Young had more success (20 points in 6-for-15 shooting) when Maryland beat the Hoosiers earlier this season.
“I thought we did a good job [Young] ahead of us,” Woodson said. “When we played them out in Maryland, they went downhill against our ball club, and I thought we were a lot better in that department.”
The Hoosiers capitalized on an advantage in color to outplay Maryland 36-18. The Terps had major foul problems that aided Indiana’s effort for the rim. Backup center Patrick Emilien fouled with 4:06 left, and starter Reese played much of the second half with four fouls.
Maryland’s recent road losses at Ohio State and Penn State pushed the Terps down to a predicted No. 8 in the NCAA tournament. Friday’s loss will likely keep the terps in that position, or maybe push their seeding a little further down.
The Terps enter selection Sunday with a résumé that includes victories over then-No. 21 Indiana (home), Big Ten regular-season champion Purdue (home), then No. 3 Northwestern (home) and against the Includes ACC Tournament Miami semi-finalists (at a neutral location).
The Terps could be held back by their miserable 2-9 road record. Their only wins in real road games came in Minnesota, which finished last in the Big Ten, and in Louisville, the bottom team in the ACC. Unless Maryland advances above the No. 8 or No. 9 seeding lines, it would likely have to face a No. 1 as it advances to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/03/10/maryland-indiana-big-ten-tournament/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=wp_homepage Indiana ousted Maryland in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten
