The Terps entered the postseason on a two-game losing streak, but a meeting with Michigan State was apparently just what the doctor ordered. After a slow start in which the Terps trailed 23-11 halfway through the first half, they would go on to outscore Michigan State 57-34 the rest of the way as they cruised to a 68-57 win.

Below is a quick look at how the Terps fared in their 68-57 win over the Spartans.

Tale of Two Halves

It wasn't pretty for the Terps early on, as Michigan State got out to a 23-11 lead midway through the opening period. Both Eric Ayala and Aaron Wiggins struggled during that stretch, whether missing shots or turning the ball over.

Ayala's first points of the game came on a driving layup that made it 23-13 and the Terps would go on to dominate Michigan State from that point on. A long three from Ayala as time expired in the opening half gave the Terps a four-point lead at the intermission. Maryland opened the second half on an 8-0 run to take a commanding 42-30 lead. Wiggins scored four of those eight points and went on to score 12 of his 19 points during the second half.

Ayala Bounces Back

After scoring just five points in a loss to Northwestern and missing some critical free throws in a loss to Penn State, Eric Ayala bounced back with one of his best all-around performances of the season versus the Spartans, scoring a game-high 21 points while grabbing a team-high nine rebounds, dishing out four assists and adding a couple of steals. After struggling early on, Ayala got it going offensively late in the first half, hitting an improbable three as time expired to give the Terps their biggest lead of the game to that point. He was relentless on the offensive glass and came up big at the foul line, hitting 10-of-11 from the stripe.

Turning Sparty Over

The Terps used their length to force Michigan State into 18 turnovers for the game. This was especially apparent in the second half, in which the Terps had five of their eight steals. The Terps used those steals to create easy baskets for themselves in transition. In all, Maryland scored 27 points off of Michigan State's 18 turnovers. Aaron Wiggins led the way for the Terps in the theft department with three steals.

Hamilton Helps Off the Bench

Jairus Hamilton went scoreless for just the second time all season in the Terps' loss at Northwestern as the Terps got zero bench points that game. But Hamilton came up big for the Terps versus Sparty for the second time this season, going 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, finishing with nine points, two rebounds and a steal. With no one else scoring off the bench for the Terps Thursday, all of Hamilton's points were big ones.

Up Next

The Terps will have a quick turnaround as they will play No. 1-seed Michigan Friday at 11:30 a.m. ET. With today's win, the Terps essentially locked up an NCAA Tournament bid.