Maryland struggles on defensive glass, falls at Michigan State

EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN — The Terrapins men’s basketball team promised toughness throughout the week. After Northwestern bullied the Terps for 16 offensive rebounds Tuesday, the Terps focused on rebounding in practice. In one drill, the rim was covered, so every shot led to a fight for the ball.

So entering Saturday’s tilt with No. 11 Michigan State, coach Mark Turgeon made rebounding, along with transition defense, a key. That emphasis and focus didn’t pay off, though.

With 28 seconds left and the Terps trailing by three, the Spartans missed a shot. Four players went up for a rebound. The only one wearing a lime-green Michigan State jersey was forward Matt Costello, who hadn’t practiced since he sprained his left ankle Wednesday.

But Costello came down with the ball. The senior’s game-high sixth offensive board and the Spartans’ 17th offensive rebound of the game led to two free throws and a two-possession deficit with 22 seconds remaining. The No. 7 Terps, who trailed for more than 34 minutes Saturday night, never got closer and fell to Michigan State, 74-65, despite 24 points from guard Melo Trimble.

In a game that ESPN’s College Gameday promoted as a matchup between two teams with high-profile guards, Trimble and Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine, rebounding proved the difference late. The Spartans had 10 more rebounds and five more second-chance points. The Terps’ transition defense, the other point of emphasis, was lacking too. They were outscored 18-10 on the fast break.

“We just go to be tougher,” forward Robert Carter Jr. said. “We got to tougher on the glass. Coach gave us the keys and told us we would have to rebound to win this game. It came down to a rebound for us to have a chance to win. We gave it up unfortunately.”

While Valentine was two assists shy of a triple-double and Trimble led the Terps on offense, Spartans guard Bryn Forbes shined with a game-high 25 points. The senior entered Saturday in a slump that mirrored the Spartans’ skid. Forbes had scored three points or fewer in the previous three games, all losses.

But Forbes, the team’s second-leading scorer, returned to form as he shot 8-for-15 from the field and helped the Spartans (17-4, 4-4 Big Ten) avoid dropping four straight games for the first time since 2007.

“We knew he was the key to the game,” Turgeon said. “We lost him a few times in transition. But give that kid some credit. He’s worked hard, and he had a nice game.”

The Terps (17-3, 6-2) entered as the hotter team, winning 11 of their last 12 games. But the offense looked stagnant Tuesday in a 62-56 overtime over Northwestern, which included a 17-point second half. Their offensive difficulties were apparent early Saturday.

Trimble had 13 of the Terps’ 29 first-half points. Carter finished with 13 points, the only other Terp in double figures, but behind the Spartans’ top three scorers.

The Spartans were the ones with a balanced attack, the Terps’ trademark for most of the season.

Valentine, an early-season candidate for National Player of the Year before undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery, chipped in 19 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. He did that while being hounded by Terps guard Rasheed Sulaimon, a top-level defender. Costello added 15 points to go along with 12 rebounds.

Thanks to Trimble, though, the Terps remained within striking distance at halftime, down 35-29.

And they looked like a different team out of the break. They hit their first six shots from the field and used that offensive spurt to take their first lead of the game with 16:14 remaining.

But the Spartans didn’t wilt. The defense tightened and the Terps started missing shots again while Forbes and Valentine poured in points.

“It seemed like we would miss a wide open shot and then they would go down and make an open shot,” Turgeon said. “That’s tough to overcome at times.”

The Terps’ inability to secure rebounds hurt, too. Trimble and Sulaimon, two guards, tied for the team-high with seven boards apiece.

After the game, Carter said the Terps have to box out more, attack the ball and stop relying on teammates to secure the ball. It cost them an opportunity to try to tie the game in the waning moments.

“Rebounding has been an issue throughout the whole season,” Trimble said. “No matter who we play, we always talk about rebounding. Coach Turgeon always said it’ll catch up to us, and it caught up to us today.”