The Terps earned their second ranked win in the past three games.
Coming off two impressive road wins over then-No. 17 Illinois and Indiana, Maryland men’s basketball sought to keep its winning ways alive at Xfinity Center Wednesday.
Things were shaky to start, but a wildly accurate second-half shooting stretch propelled the Terps to a 76-68 win, their fourth in a row.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
Up-and-down first half for the Terps
Maryland shot just 33% from the field in the first half. Still, it led Wisconsin, 32-31, after the opening 20 minutes.
That was partly due to the Badgers’ poor shooting in their own right. They shot just 38.5% from the field and a dismal 55.6% from the free-throw line in the half. Maryland’s cohesive defense was impressive, too, holding 7-footer Nolan Winter to just five first-half points on 1-of-3 shooting.
The Terps’ bench also made an immediate — albeit short-lasting — impact on both ends. DeShawn Harris-Smith, while not attempting a single shot in the first half, assisted in shutting down guards John Blackwell and Max Klesmit. They combined for a paltry three points on 1-of-5 shooting in the opening half.
Meanwhile, Tafara Gapare, who has seen fluctuating playing time depending on the matchup, performed well early. He led a mini-comeback stretch, knocking down a 3-pointer and drawing a subsequent charge, riling up the Xfinity Center crowd.
Derik Queen’s slow start was perhaps the reason Maryland didn’t have a more sizable lead through 20 minutes. He shot just 1-of-8 from the field in the first half, missing a number of easy looks around the rim. He also attempted a plethora of mid-range shots and fadeaway jumpers, but they failed to fall.
Maryland had a scorching-hot second half
In comparison to its first half from the field, Maryland was effectively the 2016 Golden State Warriors in the second period.
It wasn’t a pretty start to the frame, as Wisconsin embarked on an 11-1 run to seize a six-point lead less than four minutes in.
But things quickly turned around.
Maryland’s guard play was at its peak down the stretch Wednesday. Successive 3-pointers by Harris-Smith — just his fifth of the season — Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Rodney Rice turned a 48-43 deficit into a 52-48 lead. And they did it all in a minute and a half.
The Terps shot a staggering 7-of-11 from downtown in the second half. It’s probably good they did, too — they went 2-of-12 on layups in the frame.
While Wisconsin did its best to forge a comeback effort, down 62-58 with 4:26 remaining, Maryland slammed the door with an unanswered 3-pointer, two made free throws and a hook shot to give itself an 11-point lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
Maryland is among the nation’s best
The Terps now have three wins over ranked opponents this season. They’ve also lost to No. 9 Marquette, No. 10 Purdue and No. 16 Oregon by a combined 13 points.
There seems to be a palpable difference between those early losses and recent wins: the ability to close out games.
Aside from a buzzer-beating overtime loss at Northwestern, the Terps have displayed poise and patience down the stretch. On Wednesday, head coach Kevin Willard and Maryland didn’t let things come down to a final possession, highlighting the team’s growth and maturity.
There’s no doubt the Terps can not only compete with, but defeat the best programs in the country. Only one question remains: will they finally be ranked, and where will that ranking be?
Maryland was an unofficial No. 27 in this past week’s Associated Press top-25 poll, just 15 points away from being ranked.