By: Joe Catapano
One season after Minnesota fans stormed the court against Maryland, the Terrapins stormed back from a slow start to avenge last season’s loss to the Golden Gophers.
Behind a career-high scoring day for freshman Justin Jackson, Maryland overcame a 12-point deficit to beat Minnesota, 85-78, to also remain unbeaten on the road.
With 8:23 left to play in the second half, Melo Trimble’s acrobatic shot gave Maryland a 58-56 lead, its first since the opening minutes of the game.
Trimble hesitated at the top of the key before driving on Minnesota’s Reggie Lynch, who fouled the junior guard as he went up to shoot. Without the ability to even see the rim, Trimble banked the ball high off of the glass and down through the net.
Just minutes later, after Minnesota regained the lead, Cowan fed Trimble on a fast break, where he would convert again while being fouled. Maryland led 73-71 after the foul shot and didn’t look back.
Minnesota tightened up in the final minutes of the game, allowing Maryland to go on a 6-0 run in the final minute to seal the victory, the Terrapin’s sixth-straight.
Despite coming out on top, Maryland had to overcome a double-digit deficit in order to do so.
The Terrapins jumped out to an early 8-4 lead, but from that point on in the first half, the game belonged to the Golden Gophers. Minnesota went on a 19-1 run in the midst of a six-minute Maryland scoring drought to take the upper-hand in the first half.
After Minnesota’s Amir Coffey hit his second 3-pointer, the Golden Gopher headed into halftime up by seven.
Although Trimble gave the Terps the lead in the second half to take control of the momentum, it was Jackson and fellow freshman Kevin Huerter who allowed Maryland to not only stay in the game, but to help win it.
Jackson’s big day included a career-high 28 points and 10 rebounds. Not only was he a perfect 5-5 from 3-point range, but his five free throws on eight attempts helped clinch the victory for the Terrapins in the final ticks of the clock.
Huerter added 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. His shots from long range silenced the crowd at the always-tough Williams Arena in Minneapolis.
Maryland needed every 3-pointer they could get out of Huerter and Jackson because Minnesota’s interior defense created 10 blocked shots to make it a tough day in the paint.
But in the end, Trimble was able to take control of the paint late in the game, often scoring himself or finding others for easy layups or wide-open 3-pointers. The junior finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
Maryland (19-2) now has only two days to prepare for yet another road test, this time in Columbus, where it’ll take on Ohio State Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
