WASHINGTON — Melo Trimble exited Maryland men’s basketball’s loss to Northwestern on Saturday with less than a minute left. He rubbed his hair as he passed stoic teammates on the bench. When he reached the end, he untucked his shirt, plopped into a seat and locked his hands over his head.
He buried his face in a towel, biting onto it before returning to that tight, interlocked grip.
The star junior guard, the one a Maryland-heavy Verizon Center crowd roared for throughout the night, was frustrated, perplexed and exhausted from the Terps’ frustrating, perplexing and exhausting 72-64 defeat.
A few weeks ago, Trimble shocked the Northwestern crowd in Evanston, Illinois, with a career-high 32 points. He sported a fresh haircut and a megawatt smile throughout an evening “we were able to do whatever we wanted,” Turgeon remembered Saturday after the Wildcats stifled his players in a second-half domination.
He tried to do the same in the conference tournament opener, but the No. 3-seed Terps were too sloppy and disjointed. Trimble managed a game-high 20 points on 50 percent shooting, but the production didn’t disrupt No. 6-seed Northwestern’s suffocating runs.
That’s why Trimble carried the towel through the handshake line and draped it over his head while walking off the court in the Terps earliest Big Ten tournament exit.
Guard Melo Trimble: B-
Much of Northwestern’s 20-4 run in the first half came with Trimble on the bench. The Upper Marlboro couldn’t forge the same excuse when the Wildcats outscored Maryland, 20-2, during a second-half stretch. His 20 points provided a spark, but not at the right times. While the junior often steadies the team’s young rotation, he appeared anxious throughout a six-turnover, four-assist performance.
Guard Kevin Huerter: B+
In the first half, it felt like the rookie couldn’t miss. He did, but not often. En route to 19 total points, he finished the frame 5 of 8 from the field with 12 points on a couple of deep threes and acrobatic shots in the paint. Maryland needed more of that after the break, but Huerter missed four of his seven looks. He said earlier this week his omission from the Big Ten’s All-Freshman team wouldn’t add motivation, but perhaps he should’ve tried channel an edge to help the Terps make a late semifinal push.
Guard Anthony Cowan: B
Maryland made six total threes, and Cowan accounted for half of those. He was true on his three deep looks, which helped him collect 13 points to complement the high-scoring backcourt effort. He also notched five rebounds, two assists and a steal, but five turnovers disrupted the Terps’ flow and allowed Northwestern to capitalize on the missed possessions. It was a solid effort in his first postseason outing, though, and one the Terps should hope continues in next weekend’s NCAA tournament.
Forward Justin Jackson: C
The Canadian rookie was the lone frontcourt player to not battle foul trouble, but the clean play didn’t garner much success. Jackson wasn’t often involved in the offense, finishing 1-for-4 with two points. His two three-point tries never reached the rim. Jackson displayed efficient defense with a block and two steals, but the his rebounding production — three defensive boards — lagged below his standard.
Forward Damonte Dodd: C-
During his postgame press conference, coach Mark Turgeon avoided answering a question about the fouls his big men endured, but he should have. The limited paint options hindered the Terps and curbed Dodd’s effectiveness. He drew his second foul at the 9:34 mark in the opening period and didn’t return until after halftime. His four points on 1-for-4 from the field and 2-for-6 from the foul line, coupled with three rebounds, won’t anchor many victories. The senior has to play with more efficiency if the Terps want to claim a tournament contest next weekend.
