Maryland Men's Basketball Defeats No. 21 Indiana at Home

Maryland men's basketball has been almost unbeatable at home this season and had a chance to secure a ranked win when they faced No. 21 Indiana on Tuesday night at the lively XFINITY Center.

The Terps (15-7, 6-5 Big Ten) struggled offensively, shooting only 34% from the field and 22.7% from three-point range, but their stellar defense led them to a 66-55 victory over the Hoosiers (15-7, 6-5).

"I thought both teams played great defense," said Maryland head coach Kevin Willard. "It was a physical battle."

Indiana saw its five-game winning streak come to an end and struggled to score, falling short of their average of 73.9 points per game in conference play. The team committed 12 turnovers and could not capitalize on junior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis' outstanding performance of 18 points and 20 rebounds.

Although the Terps faced challenges, they relied on graduate guard Jahmir Young, who scored 20 points and set the tone for the team. Young has scored at least 20 points in all of Maryland's home Big Ten games.

"The fans bring it every time," Young said about Maryland's home crowd. "We're 6-0 at home in the Big Ten for a reason, and they're a huge part of that."

Sophomore forward Julian Reese also had a strong performance for Maryland, recording a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, despite going up against the highly athletic Jackson-Davis.

"I definitely tried to embrace that challenge," Reese said about guarding Jackson-Davis. "He's highly-touted in this conference and in the country, so I took it personally. I tried to go at him and do whatever it took to get us the win."

Donta Scott, a senior forward, contributed 19 points, even though he struggled with his shooting, making only 6-of-18 attempts from the field.

"His shot will come around, I know it will," Willard said about Scott. "He got some great looks tonight, but I think he's adjusting to the physicality. Defensively, he has the toughest assignment every night because our defensive strategy depends a lot on him."

After a slow start, the Terps began relying on three-pointers, but struggled to convert. They started 1-for-10 from beyond the arc, allowing Indiana to take a 22-15 lead halfway through the first half, prompting Willard to call a timeout.

"I jokingly reminded our guys that it would be really helpful if someone could make a shot," Willard recalled the timeout. "I wanted to relax them because we started off well, but then we missed some shots and got tight. I saw a bad pattern emerging, and I thought they needed to relax."

The Terps quickly regained their momentum after the timeout, relying on their strong defense. They forced seven turnovers in the first half and didn't commit any of their own, disrupting Indiana's attempts to feed the ball to Jackson-Davis. Although Jackson-Davis had some success with 8 points and 11 rebounds in the first half, Maryland's pressure led Indiana to make several mistakes that they couldn't overcome.

Maryland turned their defensive success into offense and outscored Indiana 22-7 in the final nine minutes of the first half, heading into halftime with a 37-29 lead.

All eight Hoosiers who played managed to score, but Jalen Hood-Schifino, a highly-rated freshman, struggled to make an impact. Hood-Schifino entered the game averaging 15.4 points in Big Ten games but didn't convert a field goal until late in the game, finishing with just three points on 1-of-14 shooting.

"I tried to make it tough for him and force him into tough shots," Young explained the plan to slow down Hood-Schifino. "He's a great player, highly recruited, so I wanted to win that matchup and go at him."

The best player on the court was Young, who continued to prove himself as Maryland's most effective offensive weapon. He made three of the team's five three-pointers and showcased his elite finishing skills.

Although the Terps started the second half slowly, turning the ball over three times in quick succession, they weathered the storm and maintained a six-point lead after the under-12 media timeout. Both teams struggled offensively, playing into the physical style of play favored by Maryland.

"We emphasize being physical and pushing through," Scott said. "We knew Indiana was going to play physical, so we tried to play through it and rely on the referees to make the decisions."

Jackson-Davis started to find his rhythm in the second half, but couldn't overcome the double-digit deficit, and Maryland secured the victory.

Despite their success at home, Maryland still lacks a conference road win, which remains a blemish on their resume. They will have the opportunity to change that when they face Minnesota on the road this Saturday.

Three things to know

1. Turnover battle: The Terps forced Indiana into committing 12 turnovers while limiting their own giveaways to only five. Despite struggling with their shooting, Maryland prevented Indiana from capitalizing on their mistakes and scoring in transition.

2. Maryland overcame poor shooting: The Terps didn't have a strong offensive performance, but their excellent defense compensated for it. Jackson-Davis couldn't dominate the game, and Hood-Schifino's poor performance made it even harder for the Hoosiers to mount a comeback.

3. Maryland swept its homestand and is above .500 in Big Ten play: The Terps needed to win their home games to improve their standing in the Big Ten and bolster their postseason chances, and they succeeded. With a three-game winning streak in conference play, Maryland now has to carry their momentum into road games.