After a big road win in East Lansing over the state of Michigan over the weekend, the Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team (8-2 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) was back in action Monday night fair for a home game against Maryland Terrapins (6-3 overall, 1-2 Big Ten).
With a new No. 6 AP rating next to their names, the Badgers entered the game looking to remain undefeated in the Big Ten game. Although Maryland was coming out of a defeat for Purdue and hadn’t been home since Christmas, I couldn’t tell from the start. The Terps played with an energy that the Badgers could not match and ended up beating the number 6 team in the country, by 70-64
The game started slow and ugly, with both teams struggling to find their touchdown.
Terps Bank is VERY excited and they are happy with what they have seen so far, as the Badgers missed their first three shots.
– Bucky’s 5th quarter (@ B5Q) December 29, 2020
At the break, the Badgers led 28-24 thanks to some late free throws from D’Mitrik Trice and the fact that they kept Terps goalless in the last 3:36 of the first half. Trice was the game’s top scorer with 10 points in the first half, while Aleem Ford added four points and five hits to help UW.
The start of the second half was more similar, as the Terps failed to get anything right and the Badgers increased their lead to seven points before Maryland finally scored, almost four minutes after the start of the second stanza.
Terps missed 11 consecutive shots before Ayala made a tray.
Trice goes straight to the ground and drains a three to push the Badgers’ lead to eight.
– Bucky’s 5th quarter (@ B5Q) December 29, 2020
After that, however, the Terps had an 8-0 run to tie the game at 34. The Badgers scored four in a time limit to get a four point lead and then … well, guys, and then Maryland Terrapins decided that he would lose nothing more. The Terps ended the game by hitting 11 of the 12 final pitches, plus a series of free throws to freeze the game.
Nate Reuvers is 0-to-4 on the pitch so far, here he is hoping for a resurgence in the second half, as he had against MSU at Christmas.
– Bucky’s 5th quarter (@ B5Q) December 29, 2020
The Badgers were unable to stop and, despite Nate Reuvers’ late efforts, eight points and five rebounds in the second half, and Trice, 15 points in the second half, there was nothing Wisconsin could do against the Maryland flamethrower attack.
Maryland is shooting 62.6% of the field in the 2nd half.
Hard to win if you’re going to let the other team shoot like that.
– Bucky’s 5th quarter (@ B5Q) December 29, 2020
Maryland ended up shooting 64% of the field, 42.9% of three and 91.7% of the free-throw line in the second half, which, again, is a winning formula, as I have never seen one. Despite having a considerably lower lineup, the Terps also dominated in painting, surpassing the Badgers by 38-20.
- -> D’Mitrik Trice, 25 points (8 out of 14 shots), four rebounds, three assists
- -> Aleem Ford, 10 points (4 out of 8 shots), six rebounds
- -> Nate Reuvers, eight points (4 out of 10 shots), six rebounds
- -> Eric Ayala (Maryland), 17 points (5 out of 11 shots), four rebounds, two assists
Next: The Badgers will remain at home for a tough race with No. 21 Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-1 overall, 1-1 B1G) on New Year’s Eve. The game can be viewed on the Big Ten Network at 3:30 pm CST.