In front of a star-studded sellout crowd, the Maryland basketball team had to fight down to the wire.
The Terrapins were able to fend off a pesky Indiana squad in a 75-72 win.
Melo Trimble led the way with 18 points and four starters finished in double figures. None were bigger than Trimble’s two free throws with eight seconds left that forced an Indiana three at the buzzer.
The situation was made possible by a three from Kevin Huerter with 1:50 left. Just 33 seconds later, Huerter secured a OG Anunoby miss and heaved the ball ahead to fellow freshman Anthony Cowan for the easy layup.
Cowan’s layup put the Terps up 73-70.
It was a raucous crowd that filled the Xfinity Center and it included guests like Vernon Davis, D.J. Durkin, Kevin Plank, Scott Van Pelt, and Gary Williams.
The first half was a continuation of what Maryland fans were surprised with against Michigan over the weekend. The Terps came out firing, and while the Hoosiers having eight first half turnovers helped them, Maryland continued to surprise.
Center Damonte Dodd became the biggest surprise of the night, as he obtained five blocks in his first 14 minutes on the floor.
On another night without fellow big man Michal Cekovsky, Dodd proved he can control the game on his own. The most surprising part of his start was actually the fact that he had just one foul in the first half.
You don't see a blocked shot go in the basket very often.
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 11, 2017
Check this out, @B1GMBBall fans! https://t.co/o1KvMymCEc
This allowed Mark Turgeon to keep Dodd in the paint and protecting the rim longer than usual. Dodd ended up with six points, six rebounds, and six blocks on the night.
In addition, he only committed one turnover.
Maryland led by as many as seven points in the opening half. However, Indiana was able to chip away and even take the lead for a time.
The half ended on a buzzer-beating layup from Trimble, which gave Maryland a 39-38 lead at the break.
The first-half clock was running down.
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 11, 2017
The ball was in @_STAYMELO's hands.
We'll give you one guess what happens. https://t.co/bzoWZ87a53
Much like Michigan did on Saturday, Indiana would come out firing in the second half and give Maryland some trouble. However, Maryland, led by their talented trio of freshmen, refused to be put down.
Cowan brought some light to the Terps by simply pressing his man. He got right in the face of whoever he was guarding when they had the ball, and forced a few turnovers.
The simple plays swung the momentum, and set the stage for Huerter’s unforgettable sequence in the final moments.
In the final seconds, Indiana was looking for a tying three, but Dodd opened the lane, attracting OG Anunoby in for the dunk. That left Maryland with a one-point lead, causing Indiana to foul Trimble. who closed it out.
On a night where Melo Trimble could not win the game himself, the freshman trio of Cowan, Huerter, and Justin Jackson had his back. Each freshman had at least 11 points with Cowan leading the way with 15.
Next: Yannick Ngakoue has record-setting rookie year
Coach Mark Turgeon summed up the freshman and this entire game with just one word: “terrific.”