The Washington Huskies (13-13, 5-10 in conference) fought the Maryland Terrapins (10-16, 3-12 in conference) in College Park, Md., on Saturday. The Huskies were looking for back-to-back wins in conference for the first time this season. Washington had recently defeated Minnesota 69-57 at home on February 14th. Hannes Steinbach and Zoom Diallo helped lead the Huskies to victory. Steinbach had 26 points and nine rebounds, while Diallo chipped in 17 points and had four assists.
Maryland was coming off a 78-74 loss to Northwestern on Wednesday. Solomon Washington and Andre Mills had big games for the Terrapins in a losing effort. Mills scored a season-high 39 points, and Solomon Washington earned a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds. The Terrapins also out-rebounded the Wildcats 36-24 in Wednesday’s loss. To beat Maryland, the Huskies needed to box out well, contain Mills and Solomon Washington, and continue to get productivity from Diallo and Steinbach. Saturday’s game was a tight battle to the end, one in which Washington came up on the short end of.
Washington and Maryland trade big runs early
The Huskies started the game on a 13-5 run in the game’s first six minutes. Wesley Yates led the way for Washington with seven points, knocking down two threes, converting one as part of a four-point play. Diallo also had a pair of two-pointers, and Steinbach threw down a dunk. Maryland responded with a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to take a 14-13 lead with 11:15 to play in the half. Mills led a balanced scoring attack with four points. Elijah Saunders hit a three-pointer, Solomon Washington had two, and Isaiah Watts put the Terrapins ahead with a pair of free throws.
Washington and Maryland stay locked in a tight contest for the remainder of the first half
Over the next four and a half minutes, the Huskies and Terrapins went back and forth scoring-wise. Maryland clung to a small lead for the final 6:46 of the half after Mills put them in front with a three-pointer, 25-22. Solomon Washington kept the Terrapins in front in the final minutes of the first half with four points, while Guillermo Del Pino had three, and George Turkson scored two. The Huskies stayed closely behind Maryland with scoring from Franck Kepnang, Diallo, and Steinbach. Kepnang and Steinbach each had four, while Diallo scored two of his team-high 10 first-half points. After a close first half of play, Washington trailed Maryland 34-32 at halftime.
The Terrapins’ lineup change pays off
Maryland’s leading scorer, David “Diggy” Coit, played just four minutes and finished the first half scoreless. He would later finish the game with just six total minutes and two points. Terrapins’ coach Buzz Williams made a decision not to play the senior guard, and that choice worked out in his team’s favor. Mills shouldered the minutes load for Maryland at guard, playing 19 first-half minutes. He led the way for the Terrapins with nine points and proved to be a tougher matchup for the Huskies’ guards.
Maryland crushes Washington on the boards
The Terrapins dominated the glass in the first half and had a seven-to-one offensive rebounding advantage. Though the Huskies shot a better percentage from the field (54% to 40%), Maryland had an 8-2 lead in second-chance points. Solomon Washington led the Terrapins’ rebounding effort with five of his eight first-half rebounds being offensive boards. As a team, Maryland out-rebounded Washington 17 to 12 for the half. The Terrapins also kept Steinbach (the top Husky rebounder) from collecting a rebound.
Washington and Maryland continue to be locked in a tight contest as the second half starts
The Terrapins and Huskies kept fighting and trading scores when the second half began. After a little over eight minutes of play, the score was tied 47-47. Diallo did the majority of the scoring with five points, while Kepnang and Steinbach each had four, and Yates dropped in a pair of free throws. Saunders did the bulk of the scoring for Maryland, canning two three-pointers. Solomon Washington also added five points, and Collin Metcalf chipped in with two.
Washington and Maryland go down to the wire
The Huskies and Terrapins played close all the way until the finish. Neither team held a lead greater than four points in the last twelve minutes of the contest. Washington’s leaders Diallo and Steinbach did what they could, scoring four points apiece. Maryland countered with Mills, who continued his superb play in the second half with 12 points down the stretch.
The Terrapins eventually pull ahead in the game’s final minute
Steinbach put the Huskies in front 58-57 on a layup with 2:20 to play in the game. Mills responded by nailing a huge three-pointer to give the Terrapins a 60-58 lead on the next possession. Steinbach then sank another layup to tie the game with 1:26 remaining in the contest. Following a Maryland timeout, Mills was fouled on the baseline and sent to the free-throw line for a one-and-one foul shot. Mills hit the front end of the one-and-one, then made the second free throw to give Maryland a 62-60 lead with 57 seconds left in the game.
The Huskies miss three chances to tie or take the lead in the closing seconds of the contest
Quimari Peterson tried to put Washington ahead with a three-pointer on the Huskies’ next possession, but missed. He fought for the rebound and ended up earning a jump ball, which gave the ball back to Washington. Yates then fired a three-pointer with 15 seconds left, but the shot rimmed out. Peterson attempted to follow up Yates’ miss with a put-back, but it was blocked, as Mills grabbed the rebound for Maryland. Mills then raced up the floor, scoring on a fastbreak dunk, as Del Pino assisted on the play. After a Washington timeout, Yates attempted one last three-point shot, but missed as time expired. The Huskies’ inability to make shots at the end of the game cost them, as they lost 64-60 to the Terrapins.
What’s next for Washington
The Huskies are now (13-14 and 5-11 in conference) following Saturday’s loss to Maryland. Washington is 13th in the Big Ten standings with just four conference games left in the regular season. The Huskies’ next game will be on Tuesday in Piscataway, N.J., against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
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