COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Maryland opened the second half on a 14-0 run, forcing five turnovers in that span, to erase a five-point deficit and come away with a 80-73 victory over No. 24 Ohio State. The win was the Terps' second over a ranked opponent this season, with the first coming in a 71-66 victory over No. 16 Illinois on Dec. 2.
After trailing 39-34 at halftime, the Terps utilized a full-court press to kick off the second half, resulting in turnovers on each of the Buckeyes' first four possessions. Offensively, Maryland kicked it into another gear, making 10 of its first 13 shot attempts to build a 56-45 lead at the 11:45 mark. From there, the Terps hung tough the rest of the way as the Buckeyes, who came into the day ranked ninth in both the NET Rankings and Ken Pom, never got closer than three points the rest of the way.
Coming out of a timeout with 1:29 remaining, Jahmir Young hit a floater in the lane to put the Terps up 74-68, all but sealing the Maryland victory.
Young was outstanding in multiple facets from the opening tip, finishing with a season-high 30 points and a season-high 11 boards for his first double-double in a Maryland uniform. The 30 points tied Young's career high, which he last set when he scored 30 against FAU (1/17/22).
Young had the first 30-point, 10-rebound game by a Terp guard since Greivis Vasquez had a triple-double with 35 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists vs. North Carolina on Feb. 21, 2009. He also shot 13-of-15 from the free throw line.
Julian Reese scored 10 and grabbed eight rebounds.
Hakim Hart notched 12 points and seven boards while
Donta Scott also recorded 12 points.
Don Carey added 10 on 3-of-3 shooting.
Maryland's second half comeback snapped a 14-game losing skid when trailing at the half. The Terps dominated around the basket all afternoon, winning the rebound battle 40-26 and holding a 34-22 points in the paint advantage. Maryland's 27 free throw makes and 33 attempts were both season-highs.
The Terps improved to 11-5 on the season and 2-3 in the Big Ten. Ohio State fell to 10-5 with a 2-2 mark in conference play.
Willard's Takes
"It's definitely sustainable," Willard said of Young's high-level of play going forward. "I loved the fact he was trying to get downhill. If you look at his five offensive rebounds, I think he got fouled on three of them. Him just being tenacious, him just having a will not lose, I think that had a big part of it."
"All of a sudden we started scoring, and it was good to review what rotations we wanted to make," he said of the press to open the second half. "Sometimes when you see it, it's easier to explain than when I draw it up on the board. I just think we made a really nice adjustment on the guard rotation that I thought really made (Bruce) Thornton think a little bit. I thought that kinda got us going and scoring."
From Jahmir
"Just trying to do everything to win. My teammates believe in me and I believe in them, so just doing whatever it takes to win. We had a great week of practice. We were able to re-group and not get too down after the Rutgers game. Coming back and getting on our home floor felt great, so I was just trying to come out here and be the aggressor from the start."
"It's been a tough stretch, so it felt good to be back in front of our home crowd. They're always the best, they're always loud, and they bring the energy. It helps us a lot when we're on the floor trying to compete and trying to take down our opponents."
Breaking Down The Action
- Both sides were buzzing offensively through the first 5:22 of action, both making four of their first eight shots from the field. Ohio State held an 11-10 lead at the first media timeout.
- The Terps hit their next five shots, including a three-point play from Hakim Hart and a triple from Scott, to build a 23-16 lead.
- Ohio State battled back to knot the game at 23-23, but Young hit four free throws and then grabbed an offensive rebound and converted on a contested layup as Maryland went back up 31-26 with 3:47 remaining in the half.
- The Buckeyes went on a run to end the first half, heading into halftime with a 39-34 lead. Young led the Terps with a 13-point, eight-rebound performance in the game's opening 20 minutes.
- Maryland quickly closed the gap to start the second half thanks to a full-court, trapping press. The Terps forced the Buckeyes into four consecutive turnovers before they could get off a single shot and five turnovers in the first four minutes of the half as Maryland grabbed a 46-39 lead.
- The Terps opened up their largest lead of the day as Reese finished strong in the paint, putting the home team ahead 60-46.
- Ohio State was able to make it a 62-59 game with 6:15 remaining and then a 64-61 game a minute later, but was never able to get any closer than three as the Terps continued to come up with clutch baskets and offensive rebounds.
Double-Figures Update
- The Terps had five guys in double-figures today. It marked the third time Maryland accomplished this feat this season and second time that all five starters scored at least 10 points (Miami on 11/20/22).
- Jahmir Young (30 points) scored in double-figures for the 13th time this season and 88th in his career. He now has a team-high 1,660 for his career.
- Donta Scott hit double-figures for the ninth time this season with 12 points. It was his 54th double-digit scoring performance in his career.
- Hakim Hart tallied 12 points for his ninth game this season in double-figures and 33rd in his career.
- Julian Reese scored in double figures for the sixth time this season and the 13th time in his career. He finished the night 4-of-10 from the floor.
- Don Carey reached double figures for the fifth time this season and the 73rd time in his career with 10 points. He now has 1,342 for his career.
Fear The Jahmir
- Setting season-highs with 30 points and 11 rebounds, Jahmir recorded the seventh double-double of his career and first with the Terps.
- He is the first Maryland guard to post a points/rebounds double-double since Eric Ayala had 26 points and 11 rebounds against Northwestern on Jan. 12, 2022. Dating back to 2010-11, Young's performance was just the 23rd time a Maryland guard had a double-double in points and rebounds (Aaron Wiggins had the most at six for his career).
Donta In The Record Books
- Scott moved up in the rebounding ranks with two boards tonight. He now has 584 which moved him into No. 30 all-time. He passed No. 32 Steve Sheppard (582, 1974-77). Next up is Tom Roy (586).
- Scott continues to stand No. 46 in the all-time scoring records for Maryland with 1,121 career points. He is currently chasing Duane Simpkins who played from 1992-96 and scored 1,123 points.
Notes and Nuggets
- Maryland holds a 7-0 record this season when Jahmir Young and Donta Scott combine for 30 points or more.
- Maryland overcame a half time deficit to win for the first time since defeating Brown 81-67 on Dec. 30, 2021. The Terps trailed 39-35 at the intermission of that game and used a 13-0 run to take control.
- Maryland improved to 7-2 all-time at home against Ohio State including a 6-1 mark in the XFINITY Center.
- Young drew 10 fouls throughout the game.
Up Next
- The Terps will hit the road and will face Iowa on Sunday, Jan. 15. The game will tip at either 2:15 or 4 pm and will air on Big Ten Network and the Maryland Sports Radio Network. The time is expected to be announced in the next 24 hours.
