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Terps Come Up Empty Again After Slow Start Against Northwestern, 68-61

Terps Falter Again at Home and With One Home Game Remaining in the 2023-24 Season, Can the Terps Find Themselves and Assess for the Off Season?

Story By: Andrew Lang

Photos By: Sol Tucker

College Park, MD–

Maryland got their second half surge, but it was too little and too late. They fell to Northwestern by a final score of 68-61. This was a low scoring affair as the combined scoring with 15:40 remaining in the game was at 66 points. Both Maryland and Northwestern looked lost at times with few answers to score. In the first half, Maryland was 1-13 in 3-point shots, and that shot came from the freshman DeShawn Harris-Smith. The Terps finished at 2-22 with the other 3-pointer in the second half by Jahmir Young. Northwestern racked up the team fouls to put Maryland up at the line with nearly 10-minutes remaining in the game, but Maryland still couldn’t take advantage.

The star for Northwestern was Nick Martinelli with a career high 27 points. Young was the points leader for Maryland with 24 points. The Terps had the deficit down to 3-points with just under 2-minutes but couldn’t capitalize on that.

“We’re ranked fifth in the country,” Willard said of his defense. “I don’t know if it can get much better to be honest with you. Guys that are [ranked] in front of us, we’re close. It’s like a percentage point. … Just don’t ask me about the offense.”

This will go down as another in a long season of single-digit losses for the Terrapins. They had plenty of chances, and Harris-Smith ended up as the next best scorer for the Terps putting in 14-points, and Julian Reese had 12.

When the Terps highlight on offense was a follow-up monster dunk by Caelum Swanton-Rodger, you have to wonder where the big plays were tonight. Of course, Young did his usual, it was the rest of the upper classmen that just could not get it done. A real positive of course for Harris-Smith — but he was still tentative to take some open shots at the end of the game as he looked to pass the ball.

“I thought we got some good open looks early,” said Terps Head Coach Kevin Willard. “What happened with us against Rutgers and a little against Michigan State, we missed some good looks and it affected us the rest of the game.”

Maryland has Indiana in Xfinity Center on Sunday to finish up their home schedule for the 2023-2024 season.

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