Aside from a high-rising dunk in the opening minutes of the game, Donta Scott’s first half resembled his own team’s struggles.
The fifth-year senior airballed a pair of threes as the Terps went 1-for-11 from deep and shot 25 percent from the field. They entered the break with just 21 points against a shorthanded Michigan — one of the worst defenses in the Big Ten.
But in the second half, Maryland’s all-time leader in appearances put on one of the best performances of his tenured Terps career to rescue his team from another agonizing Big Ten loss.
Scott scored 20 of his season-high 22 points after the break on 5-for-6 shooting from the field and 4-for-4 shooting from deep to lift Maryland men’s basketball out of a 12-point halftime deficit and propel the Terps to a 64-57 win over Michigan on Thursday at Xfinity Center.
“We struggled in the first half and I think [Scott] was upset with himself at halftime,” coach Kevin Willard said. “He came out and he was very, very animated in the huddle before he went out and he just did what a senior does.”
Scott hit a pair of quick threes and drained a pair of free throws that brought the Terps back level with the Wolverines exactly halfway through the second frame. He added another two three-pointers within 43 seconds of each other that gave Maryland a lead it never surrendered.
“[The first two three-pointers] gave me a little bit of confidence because I already knew I could make shots, it was just a matter of time before I did,” Scott said. “I already knew that I could make a couple more once I got them up, so I said ‘why not?’”
The Wolverines (6-10, 1-4 Big Ten) were without sophomore guard and Washington, D.C, native Dug McDaniel, who announced Wednesday that he was suspended for Michigan’s next six away contests.
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He served the first game of that suspension Thursday, and while the Wolverines could’ve used him in what was a low-scoring affair early on, they didn’t need their leader in points and assists in the opening half.
Maryland (10-6, 2-3 Big Ten) started the game 0-for-9 from three-point range, with five different players misfiring from deep. The Terps missed eight consecutive field goal attempts during a first-half scoring drought that lasted over six-and-a-half minutes.
Michigan failed to take advantage during the Terps’ first dry spell, but found its groove in the latter stages of the first half.
The Wolverines embarked on a quick 14-2 run thanks to threes from Will Tschetter and Terrance Williams II as well as multiple easy looks at the rim. Michigan recorded nearly half of its 33 first-half points over the three-minute stretch as Maryland continued to struggle, scoring just 21 points in the opening 20 minutes.
Jahmir Young drained the Terps’ first three of the night with about two minutes left, Maryland’s only make from deep in the first half.
In a familiar sight, the home team entered the break shooting 8-for-24 from the field and 1-for-11 from three. They recorded nine turnovers to just one assist in the opening half against the Big Ten’s worst defense, per KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency.
Maryland matched its first-half scoring output within the first nine minutes of the second half as it clawed its way back into the game. The Terps found success at the rim via Julian Reese and DeShawn Harris-Smith after the break and eventually made its breakthrough from deep via Scott.
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Jamie Kaiser Jr. added another pair of threes as Maryland shot 6-for-10 from behind the arc in the second half. The freshman was the Terps’ only player to score off the bench with senior guard Jahari Long out. Kaiser and fellow freshman Harris-Smith both logged more than 30 minutes as only five Maryland players scored.
The Terps’ rare shooting success stalled late. Michigan attempted to chip away at their seven-point advantage as Maryland failed to make a field goal for almost the final five minutes.
With the Wolverines down three inside the final minute, Reese recorded a pair of blocks on back-to-back possessions and made a pair of crucial free throws that secured the Terps’ second Big Ten win of the season.
Maryland returned home in desperate need of a win and in familiar territory — Willard’s team also started last season 1-3 in Big Ten play. The Terps will require a similar, if not better performance than last season’s run of 10 conference wins in 14 games down the stretch to keep their at-large NCAA tournament hopes alive.
“We’re pretty much in a must-win in every game … the beginning of the season kind of put us behind the eight ball,” Willard said. “This is a team that if we can get better offensively, the way we play defensively is gonna give us a chance.”
Thursday’s win wasn’t pretty. It was, however, a necessary start.
And it was fitting that Scott, the spark that pushed the Terps past an ugly first-half offensive performance, scored the final points with a pair of free throws that capped a much-needed Maryland win in College Park.
