#9 Maryland Wins Big Ten Championship

Box Score
Photo Gallery
2020-201 Season Ticket Information
  COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- BIG TEN CHAMPS! The No. 9 Maryland men's basketball team took down No. 25 Michigan, 83-70, to clinch the 2019-20 Big Ten Championship on Sunday.

Anthony Cowan Jr. had 20 points and eight assists in his final home game at Maryland. Eric Ayala scored 19,  Jalen Smith had 18 points and 11 rebounds and Aaron Wiggins added 15 points for the Terps (24-7, 14-6). Cowan, a senior guard, went 7-for-11 from the floor and hit six free throws in the final minute.

Maryland moved into a first-place tie with Wisconsin, and Michigan State, and secured the No. 3 seed and double bye in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament. The Terps will face either Penn State, Indiana or Nebraska on Friday, March 13 at 9 p.m., in the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. 

Immediately after the game, Maryland was presented a Big Ten championship trophy, its first since joining the league in 2014. Wisconsin, however, is assured the top seed in the conference tournament this week by virtue of owning the best record in games involving the first-place teams.

Michigan went 9 for 13 from the floor to start the second half, outscoring Maryland 25-15 to cut a 13-point deficit to 56-53 with 10 minutes left. Zavier Simpson led the surge with nine points on 4-for-4 shooting.

The Terps eased the pressure with a 9-2 run that included a pair of 3-pointers by Ayala. After that, the margin never dipped below seven points.

After a sellout crowd saluted Cowan, Will Clark and Travis Valmon, the Terrapins trailed early before Ayala scored six points in a 14-2 run that made it 18-9. Minutes later, Wiggins had a 3-pointer and a dunk in a 7-0 spurt that upped the margin to 12.

Smith ended the half with a 35-foot heave at the buzzer that hit the bottom of the net and put Maryland up 41-28.

Cowan made his school-record 130th consecutive start. He ranks first on the Maryland career list for free throws made (579), seventh in scoring, fifth in assists and third in 3-pointers made.

-Terps-

No. 6 Maryland Captures Big Ten Crown

Box Score
Photo Gallery
Reserve 2020-21 Season Tickets

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Stephanie Jones scored 18 points and Ashley Owusu had 17 points and 11 assists to lead No. 6 Maryland past Ohio State 82-65 in Sunday's Big Ten tournament championship game.

Owusu was named the Jim & Kitty Delany Most Outstanding Player and Jones was named to the All-Tournament Team.

The Terrapins (28-4) won their 17th game in a row, earned the conference's automatic NCAA Tournament bid and captured their first tourney crown in three years. It's Maryland's fourth tournament title in the six years it has been a member of the league.

Dorka Juhasz scored 20 points and Kierstan Bell had 13 to lead sixth-seeded Ohio State (21-12), which ran out of steam after winning three times in the previous three days and had won four straight overall.

As usual, the Terrapins turned the game with defense -- limiting the Buckeyes to just one basket during a 6 1/2-minute stretch that began late in the second quarter and ended midway through the third.

Maryland took advantage by using a 9-2 run to help build a 44-35 halftime lead before pulling away in the third with a 12-4 spurt that made it 56-39.

Ohio State, which trailed by as much as 22, never recovered.

Maryland is 16-2 all-time in the Big Ten Tournament after winning the 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2020 Tournament titles. Head coach Brenda Frese is 16-3 in the Tournament.

Maryland has won 17 straight games since Jan. 12. The Terrapins have 14 wins over RPI top 50 teams and seven over teams ranked in the AP Top 25.

-Terps-