WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – The Maryland men's basketball team gave No. 3 Purdue all that it could handle, but the Boilermakers eventually outlasted the Terps, 62-61, on Sunday afternoon inside Mackey Arena. 

Playing without leading scorer Eric Ayala, due to injury, the Terps (11-14, 3-11 Big Ten) led for much of the first half as Fatts Russell was sensational. Russell finished with a season-high 24 points, season-high nine rebounds and six assists as he valiantly led Maryland as the Terps nearly pulled off their first road win over a Top-5 opponent since beating No. 1 North Carolina in 2008. 

Maryland continued its hot play early in the second half, building a lead as large as 12 at 48-36 11 minutes left in the game. But, Purdue (22-4, 11-4) reeled off 14 points in a row as the Boilermakers took a 49-48 lead on a Sasha Stefanovic (17 points) three-pointer with 8:20 left in the second half. The teams traded leads five times and the game was tied four times in the final nine minutes before Purdue clinched the game on Jaden Ivey's three-point play with 13.1 seconds left, putting them up 62-59. 

The Terps had a chance to win the game after a deadball turnover by Purdue with 7.8 seconds left, but Donta Scott was blocked by Trevion Williams forcing a loose ball and Purdue secured it as time expired. 

The Terps' defense was stellar against the top-scoring team in the Big Ten and fifth-highest scoring team in the nation as Purdue came into the game averaging 83.4 points per game. Maryland limited Purdue to 26 points in the first half and 62 for the game, their second-lowest total of the season. The Boilermakers (third in the nation in field goal percentage entering the game at 51 percent) were held to just 40.7 percent in the first half. 

Purdue's leading scorer Ivey (17.7 ppg) was held off the scoreboard in the first half, missing all four of his shots. He didn't score for the game's first 26:45 and finished with 11 points, making just 2-of-9 shots.

Breaking Down The Action

• The Terps held an early 10-4 lead with 16:07 remaining after Scott's transition bucket and Russell's two three-pointers. Maryland continued its strong start as it hit six of its first 10 shots, taking a 14-11 lead with 11:55 remaining in the half. Both teams continued to battle throughout the first period, with Maryland's defense stifling the potent Boilermakers attack. Purdue managed to take a 26-23 lead into halftime, but the Terps managed to hold its leading scorer, Ivey, scoreless. 
• Maryland came out firing in the second half on a 12-0 run, taking a 35-26 lead with 16:42 left in the half, punctuated by back-to-back shots by Russell. A three-pointer by Ian Martinez gave the Terps its largest lead of the game at 40-29 with 14:31 remaining, prompting a timeout by Purdue. The Boilermakers would respond late in the second half with a 13-0 run allowing it to retake the lead at 49-48 with 8:20 left. The teams would go back and forth, trading the lead with Martinez tying the game at the free-throw line with just under three minutes remaining. After Russell's free throw tied the game with under a minute remaining, Ivey's aforementioned three-point play gave Purdue the lead for good.

Near-Upset 

• Maryland was seeking its first win over a Top-5 opponent since defeating No. 3 Iowa on Jan. 28, 2016
• It would have been, Maryland's first such victory as an unranked team since defeating No. 2 Duke on March 15, 2013. 
• Maryland's last top-5 road victory was at No. 1 North Carolina on Jan. 19, 2008.

Double-Figure Update

• Russell (24 points) hit double-figures for the 20 time this season and 96th time in his career. 
• Scott (11 points) scored in double-figures for the 16th time this season and 39th time in his career.

Green Draws Start

• Graduate transfer Xavier Green drew his second start as a Terp in place of an injured Eric Ayala. 
• Green played 21 minutes and finished with three points and three rebounds rebounds. 
• Green had also started at Michigan (Jan. 18). 

Up Next

• The Terps travel to Nebraska where it'll take on the Cornhuskers on Friday, Feb. 18 at 9 p.m. 
• The game will be broadcasted on Big Ten Network and the Maryland Sports Radio Network.