No. 2-seed Maryland men’s basketball head coach Kevin Willard answered cautiously when asked about the Terps’ break between their regular season finale to their first Big Ten Tournament game.
“We have not been good coming off byes, thanks a lot [for reminding me],” he said. “I was gonna go have a beer, now I’m gonna switch to whiskey.”
Well, any of Willard’s concerns were alleviated early Friday. Maryland shot 8-of-14 (57.1%) from three, corralled nine offensive rebounds and did not commit a turnover en route to a 26-point halftime lead. The Terps did not need to do much in the second half and coasted to a 88-65 win over No. 7-seed Illinois at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Maryland will now advance to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2015-16, where they will take on the winner of No. 3-seed Michigan vs. No. 6-seed Purdue.
The Terps’ performance was particularly impressive on the offensive end, especially given their recent struggles. Over its previous four games, Maryland averaged 67 points per game on 37.7% shooting from the field. It scored 57 points in the first half Friday.
Much of the Terps’ production came from beyond the arc; the Terps shot 42.3% from the field and 47.8% from three in the game. Rodney Rice, in particular, got hot with game-high 18 first-half points, 15 of which came from three. Nothing epitomized the game to that point more than when Big Ten Network showed a young Illini fan crying in the stands after Rice hit an and-1 three with 8:27 left in the first half.
Even with nearly 30 minutes of play remaining, the winner seemed decided.
Illinois 7-foot-1 center Tomislav Ivisic got in foul trouble early. He picked up two fouls nearly four minutes into the game, but with Maryland suddenly leading by 14 points, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood sent him back into the game after a short stint on the bench. Less than four minutes later, Ivisic committed his third foul.
While Ivisic’s absence certainly had an some effect on the game, no one player could have stopped the Terps. Even Jordan Geronimo nailed a three; he shot 1-of-5 from deep in the regular season.
Much has been made of Maryland’s depth throughout the season, with some pointing to bench production as the reason it will eventually lose in the postseason. However, the unit, led by Geronimo, put together one of its best games of the season against Illinois. Geronimo posted 11 points — the first time a bench player has scored double-digit points since he scored 10 against Washington on Jan. 2.
Tafara Gapare contributed four points and two blocks in rare playing time, while DeShawn Harris-Smith and Jaylon Young combined for seven rebounds and three assists.
The Terps’ defense was also impressive. Illinois was fresh off a 106-point performance against Iowa Thursday, but shot just 36.5% from the field and 22.2% from three against Maryland, while committing 17 turnovers. Geronimo recorded five of Maryland’s 12 steals and one of its five blocks.
With 6:52 remaining, Willard removed all five starters from the floor and utilized his bench, who were more than capable of securing the 23-point win.
Three things to know
1. Rice proved a point. During media availability Wednesday, Rice said he had a chip on his shoulder entering the Big Ten Tournament after being left off every all-conference team this season. It certainly looked like it Friday, as he finished with a game-high 26 points — the most he’s scored since the second game of the season — on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and 7-of-9 shooting from three.
2. Ivisic did not make a difference. Maryland’s 21-point win over Illinois in January had an asterisk next to it, as Ivisic did not play due to an illness. The Terps doubled down on their dominance of the Illini Friday, beating them by a wider margin.
In foul trouble for much of the game, Ivisic only played 16 minutes, posting four points, six rebounds and a block.
3. Maryland took care of the ball. The Terps did not commit a turnover until the second half and ended the game with just three, its lowest total of the season. Maryland committed a season-high 18 turnovers against Northwestern Saturday, but cleaned up those mistakes Friday.
