The Terps have won six of their last seven games.
With 3:21 left in the contest, No. 25 Maryland men’s basketball led Nebraska by just six points.
Maryland maintained that lead, and more.
Every time the Cornhuskers attempted to crack the Terps’ thin advantage, their backcourt responded — not its immensely talented frontcourt that had combined for 35 points to that point.
Three consecutive buckets in the final two minutes— layups from Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Rodney Rice and a jumper from Selton Miguel — propelled Maryland to an 83-75 victory at Nebraska Thursday night.
The Terps ended the night shooting an impressive 58.5% from the field and 46.7% from three on 15 attempts. Miguel, Gillespie and Rice notched 17, 15 and 14 points, respectively.
Maryland jumped out to an early lead behind Derik Queen’s precision around the hoop and a flurry of Nebraska turnovers — three in just over two minutes. The freshman center was active on the glass and showcased his skilled footwork with multiple jumpers.
A 9-0 run helped the Terps build a 16-8 advantage just six minutes into the contest, but their momentum quickly stalled.
Nebraska responded with a 6-0 burst, while Maryland went scoreless for nearly three minutes, cutting the deficit to two points. Juwan Gary led the Cornhuskers’ charge, sinking two early shots, including a three that helped Nebraska take a one-point lead midway through the first half.
Then, the game turned into a shootout. Over a frenetic four-minute stretch, the teams combined for 23 points, trading leads multiple times. Maryland hit five straight shots, including two buckets from Queen and 3-pointers from Gillespie and Miguel.
The Terps capitalized on Nebraska’s defensive struggles, with Gillespie drilling another deep three in the final 90 seconds of the half. Maryland shot a scorching 6-of-11 from beyond the arc and 54.8% overall, while Nebraska managed just 39% from the field in the first half.
At halftime, Maryland held a 42-35 lead.
Maryland came out strong in the second half, wasting no time in building an 11-point lead with a 12-point surge in the first four and a half minutes. Every member of the starting five contributed at least one basket — none from beyond the arc. Instead, the Terps capitalized on Nebraska’s missed shots, pushing the tempo and finding open looks in the paint.
But as explosive as their scoring run was, Maryland’s offense soon hit a wall. The Terps failed to make a field goal for more than three and a half minutes, a drought that coincided with a heated moment between Jordan Geronimo and Braxton Meah. A technical foul on Julian Reese further fueled the tension, igniting the crowd and both head coaches while the game remained tight.
Brice Williams kept Nebraska in the fight, drilling a clutch three with just under nine minutes left to cut the deficit to three points. The Cornhuskers’ star player finished the night with 20 points on 5-of-13 shooting, but missed a crucial three in the final minute of play.
Maryland found stability at the free-throw line. A Rice free throw at the 8:28 mark ensured all five starters reached double figures. A minute later, Rice extended the lead to eight points with a difficult, acrobatic layup, giving the Terps some much-needed breathing room.
Nebraska was unrelenting, though, continuing to attack the basket. That aggressiveness earned it multiple free-throw trips with under two minutes remaining in the game.
But as it has improved on over the course of the season, head coach Kevin Willard’s squad responded in a big way late, manufacturing the necessary buckets to snap the Cornhuskers’ four-game win streak.
Three things to know
1. Queen continued his solid play. The freshman phenom is coming into his own at the perfect time. After a stellar showing against Rutgers, in which he scored a career-high 29 points, he notched 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting and 11 rebounds.
2. Road success. While five of their losses have come away from home, Maryland has won three of its last four road games. It will be important for the Terps to be comfortable away from Xfinity Center as the Big Ten Tournament approaches.
3. Turnover trouble. Despite the victory, Maryland was uncharacteristically cavalier with the ball, giving it away 12 times. Queen had a team-high three turnovers.