The Terps blew a 17-point lead.
No. 18 Maryland men’s basketball dropped its first game of the season as a ranked team Thursday night, falling to Ohio State, 73-70, on the road. The Terps were on a four-game winning streak.
Here are three takeaways from the contest.
A massive let down
The Terps were ranked in the Associated Press top-25 poll for the first time in nearly two years Monday, and in the first game with a number next to their name this season, they blew it.
Maryland came out firing, starting the game 7 for 7 from the field en route to a demanding 15-2 lead. Julian Reese made himself available for dump-offs in the paint, while Rodney Rice made his first three jump shots, including a 3-pointer.
The Terps’ lead reached 17 points in the first half, but Ohio State cut the lead to nine by halftime. Despite multiple Buckeye runs, Maryland never seemed in threat of forfeiting its lead, leading by 11 points with less than eight minutes remaining. But that was not the case.
The Terps lead was cut to three points with 3:34 remaining, and then Ohio State took its first lead of the game with 2:10 remaining.
Maryland’s offense hummed in the first half, defined by intense off-ball movement, relentless picks and efficient midrange jump shots. But that fluidity disappeared in the second half, as the Terps shot 25% from the field.
Maryland has lost multiple close games and blown its fair share of leads, but given its national recognition and four-game winning streak, this may be the Terps’ worst loss of the season.
Maryland returns to action Sunday at Xfinity Center to take on Rutgers in an attempt to salvage its national ranking.
Thornton destroyed the Terps
Ohio State climbed out of the 17-point deficit for one reason: Bruce Thornton’s heroics.
Thornton does it all for the Buckeyes. He leads the team with 17.7 points and 4.3 assists per game, while shooting 52% from the field and 46.1% from three. He also averages 3.4 rebounds and a steal per game, which ranks second on the team.
He began the game slow, though, starting 0-of-4 from the field. But with about five minutes remaining in the first half, everything changed. He scored 10 of Ohio State’s last 12 points of the first half and continued that dominance into the second half, scoring 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field.
He was also 2 for 2 from three in the second half, with the second being the biggest shot of the night. With nine seconds remaining, Thornton pulled up from beyond the arc with Rice draped all over him. But it did not matter; it was simply Thornton’s night. The shot banked in and put the Buckeyes ahead for good.
He finished with 31 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals.
A far different result than last time
Ohio State is one of three teams Maryland will play twice this year, and the Terps laid the hammer on the Buckeyes the first time around.
On Dec. 4 — Maryland’s first Big Ten game of the season — the Terps led by 33 points and scored 50 points at halftime, the largest halftime advantage in a Big Ten regular season game since 1996-97 and the highest first-half scoring mark in program history against a Big Ten opponent.
After 20 more minutes, Maryland won, 83-59, forcing 17 turnovers and holding Ohio State to 37.9% shooting from the field and 21.1% shooting from three.
But the game played out dramatically differently Thursday night. The Terps’ hot start was reminiscent of their last matchup with Ohio State, but a nine-point lead was not enough to survive their second-half collapse.