COLUMBUS, OH — Bruce Thorton caught the inbounds pass in the backcourt with the clock under 30 seconds. Maryland locked into its two-three zone defense with the score tied at 70 apiece.
The junior guard let the clock hit single digits before stepping back and launching a contested triple. Rodney Rice, a hand in his face, watched as Thornton’s shot banked off the backboard before falling through the net.
Ohio State took the lead when it mattered most despite trailing for over 37 minutes. A last-second shot from Selton Miguel fell short, resulting in a heartbreaking 73-70 Maryland loss.
“I thought our defense at the end was really good,” coach Kevin Willard said. “[Thorton] hit a tough shot. He’s a big-time player.”
After dismantling the Buckeyes by over 20 points in their Big Ten opener on Dec. 4 in College Park, the Terps hoped Thursday served as a repeat.
Just like its first matchup, Maryland was nearly perfect offensively to open Thursday night. A pair of Julian Reese layups and Rodney Rice jumpers put Maryland up 8-0 before Ohio State was forced to call a timeout.
The Terps made their first seven shots before the Buckeyes finally began to fight back. Ohio State generated a scoring run of its own, cutting Maryland’s lead to just five before the game’s first media timeout.
The Terps bounced back despite the dry spell, notably on the defensive end. They held the Buckeyes without a made field goal for over seven minutes.
Maryland limited Ohio State to just 36 percent from the field in the first half, forcing five turnovers and scoring six points off takeaways.
Reese and Rice continued to control pace offensively, closing the half with 25 combined points on 10-for-12 shooting. For the second time this season, the Terps headed into the locker room with a comfortable cushion over the Buckeyes, 41-32.
But Maryland struggled within the second half’s opening minutes.
The Terps’ offense went stagnant, missing seven straight shots amid a more than five-minute stretch without a made field goal. Ohio State used the momentum to break into its deficit, cutting Maryland’s lead to five and forcing Willard to call a timeout.
Rice tried to get the offense back in rhythm coming out of the timeout, connecting on a corner 3-pointer off a skip pass from Gillespie. However, despite four straight stops on the defensive end, the Terps couldn’t pull away late — largely due to a plethora of missed free throws.
Derik Queen missed a pair of free throws on two separate trips to the line. Selton Miguel missed a pair and Reese missed the front end of a one-and-one.
Thorton took over late in the second half for the Buckeyes. He surpassed his season averages — eighth best in the Big Ten — of 17.1 points per game in the second half alone, pouring in 21 points in the period and eventually finishing with a game-high 31.
With just two minutes left to play, Thorton hit a deep shot from beyond the arc, providing Ohio State with its first lead of the game, 67-66. Then, with just seconds left on the clock, the final bank-shot triple gave the Buckeyes their lead for good.
Despite the loss, Reese and Rice continued their exceptional play seen across the past few weeks. Reese finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds, his 10th double-double of the season. Rice had 18 points and three assists, his third straight game with at least 15 points.
Maryland will look to get back on track when it returns home Sunday afternoon to take on Rutgers (12-11, 5-7 Big Ten) — the lone regular season matchup between the two this season. With dozens of NBA scouts expected to be in attendance, the Terps will be tested against the high-flying freshman duo of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey.
Nathan Schwartz and Oliver Schaack will have the noon tipoff call for WMUC Sports.
