Skip To Main Content

University of Maryland Athletics

Jahmir Young
66
Illinois Illini 6-2,0-1 Big Ten
71
Winner Maryland MD 8-0,1-0 Big Ten
Illinois Illini
6-2,0-1 Big Ten
66
Final
71
Maryland MD
8-0,1-0 Big Ten
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Illinois Illini 34 32 66
Maryland MD 41 30 71

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Young's Late Dagger Sends No. 22 Maryland Past No. 16 Illinois, 71-66

COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Behind a season-high 24 points and a late dagger by Jahmir Young, No. 22 Maryland got the first ranked victory of the Kevin Willard Era in front of a loud and raucous XFINITY Center crowd, defeating No. 16 Illinois 71-66. The Terps are now 8-0 and one of just fifteen unbeaten teams remaining in the nation.

Young, Hakim Hart and Donta Scott all had big nights for the Terps in their Big Ten season opener. Young led the way with a season-high 24 points while Hart dropped 17 on 5-of-6 shooting from deep. Scott did a bit of everything inside for Maryland, notching 12 points, three rebounds and three assists. 

The Terps and Illinois traded baskets early before Maryland exploded for an 11-0 run, dialing up the decibel level in XFINITY. The Illini went on a run of their own, but Hart continued to make clutch threes to turn the momentum back to the Terps as they entered halftime with a 41-34 lead. 

Illinois tied the game at 57 with 7:36 remaining and the two teams remained deadlocked at the under-four media timeout, setting up a thrilling finish. Julian Reese put the Terps on top with a free throw and Young got a basket interference call to go up three. Illinois got a layup off an offensive rebound on the next possession, but Reese got a putback of his own to put the Terps ahead 67-64. Coleman Hawkins answered with a pull-up jumper for the Illini, but the Terps got a stop on the next possession, giving them the ball and the 67-66 lead with 28.3 seconds remaining. Young, who was the offensive star for the Terps all night, hit an off-the-dribble triple from the top of the arc to send the Illini home. 

The Illini, who dropped to 6-2, were led by Terrence Shannon Jr.'s 19 points. Maryland held Illinois to just 5-of-20 shooting (25 percent) from deep while the Terps knocked down nine triples of their own. 

Willard's Takes

"I thought the crowd was off the charts, the student section was off the charts. I thought that was a big difference for us."

"My main goal (when I took over the program) was to get everyone in this area to understand what this program was going to be all about. I think these guys have really proved to everybody what this program is. We still have a long way to go, obviously. But I think everyone got a glimpse of how hard these guys have worked, the attitude they've had and what this program is not only about now, but what it's going to be about in the future. So, it's really cool to be 8-0."

"That (crowd) is what Damon (Evans) and I talked about when I got here. I want to get this program back to a championship level and to get it back to a championship level you need a building like that every night. If you look at the Kansas', the Kentucky's, those kinds of programs, which I think this program is on that level, they have a crowd like that every night. If we can get that every night, we're gonna win more games like that."

From Jahmir 

"The original play (on his dagger shot) broke down. The coaches told me to come back and get the ball and set a pick-and-roll at the top of the key. (Terrence) Shannon went under (the screen), I just knew when he goes under to get ready and shoot. And I knew if we had a three it would be a two possession game, so I just got ready to shoot. I practice that shot and had the belief to knock it down."

"That was an unbelievable feeling. Terp Nation fans are the best. The crowd was crazy, the noise was crazy. Just being able to hit that shot was an amazing feeling and a dream come true."

Breaking Down The Action
  • The two teams traded punches early in a fast-paced, offensive start that saw Illinois hold a 14-11 lead six minutes into the game. Young (7 points) and Scott (4) scored all 11 of Maryland's points on 5-of-7 shooting. 
  • The Terps came out of the media timeout on fire, going on an 11-0 run capped off by a Young triple from the wing to give Maryland a 22-14 lead at the 10:37 mark and forcing Illinois' Brad Underwood to take a timeout. The run was sparked by eight consecutive points from Hart in addition to an Illini scoring drought lasting over four minutes. 
  • Maryland clamped down on defense, holding Illinois without a field goal from the 14:41 mark until a three-pointer by Coleman Hawkins with 7:39 to go.
  • Illinois cut the Terps' lead to 28-25, but Hart knocked down two more from beyond the arc (giving him four triples in the first half) to stop the Illini run. Maryland headed into halftime up 41-34, with Young and Hart combining for 29 points. 
  • Both sides traded baskets for much of the second half and Maryland led 55-52 with 10 minutes remaining. The 9:09 mark signaled a crucial moment for the Terps as Julian Reese headed to the bench with his fourth foul. 
  • Tied at 62 with 3:25 left to play, the two teams were neck-in-neck until Young sunk the dagger with 14 seconds remaining. 
8-0 Start 
  • Maryland improved to 8-0, marking the seventh season in program history to start with eight consecutive victories without a loss. 
  • Maryland started 10-0 for the 2019-20 season en route to winning the 2020 Big Ten Championship. Prior to that, Maryland's last 7-0 start was the 2006-07 campaign.
Only 15 Teams Remain Unbeaten Double-Figure Update
  • Scott reached double figures for the sixth time this season and the 51st time in his career.
  • Young scored in double-figures for the seventh time in eight games this season with 21 and the 82st time in his 91 career games.
  • Hart finished with 17 points to reach double figures for the sixth time this season and the 31st time in his career.
  • This marks the third time this season that the trio have scored double-figures in the same game. 

The Stars Come Out
  • The crowd of 16,380 included several stars.
  • U.S. Open Tennis hero and Prince George's County native Frances Tiafoe was among the courtside celebrities sitting with Maryland football head coach Michael Locksley. 
  • Hall of Fame Basketball Coach Gary Williams sat courtside along with Terp legend and ESPN star Scott Van Pelt. 

Series Update
  • Maryland has now won 14-of-27 matchups against Illinois, including the last two. The Terps have won five of the last six meetings and nine of the last 11.
Notes & Nuggets
  • With the win, Maryland claims its first victory over a ranked opponent since the Terps defeated No. 22 Ohio State 75-60 on Feb 27, 2022.
  • Maryland has now won 12 consecutive games when leading at halftime.
  • Hart tied his career-high with five made triples. 
Up Next
  • The Terps will travel to Madison, Wisconsin to face the Badgers on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 9 PM EST. The action can be caught on ESPN2 and the Maryland Sports Radio Network. 
Print Friendly Version