COLLEGE PARK, MD – The Maryland men's basketball team played one of its best games of the season as it knocked off the No. 17 Illinois Fighting Illini, 81-65, on Friday night inside the XFINITY Center. The Terps (10-9, 2-6) played inspired basketball led by Donta Scott, who came off the bench to score a career-high 25 points as he made 9-of-12 from the field. Fatts Russell scored 15 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
Big man Qudus Wahab had his best game in a while with 11 points and four rebounds and help Maryland control the post, along with Scott. The Terps outscored the Illini, 40-16, in the paint as Illinois (13-5, 6-2) was without its All-Big Ten center Kofi Cockburn, who missed the game while in concussion protocols.
Maryland had its best shooting game of the season, recording a 52.8 percent mark from the field, making 28-of-53. The Terps had not shot better than 50 percent in a game all season.
The Terps took the lead for good with a 7-0 spurt late in the second half. A Scott three-point play with 6:01 left gave the Terps a 66-60 advantage and they led the rest of the way. Maryland scored the final 11 points of the game.
The Terrapins are now 4-0 all-time at home against Illinois as Big Ten Conference foes (since 2014-15). Maryland has won eight of its last 10 meetings overall against the Illini.
It was Maryland's second win over a ranked team this season, the Terps beat then-No. 20 Florida in Brooklyn in December.
The Terps hit their first four shots of the game, but Illinois kept pace as the two teams were tied at eight at the under-16 timeout. Maryland's strong offensive half continued as they took a 31-29 lead at the under-four timeout on the back of Scott's 10 points. The Terps would end up taking a 37-35 lead at the halftime after shooting 52% from the field and 40% from three-point range.
Both teams continued to trade blows into the second half as Russell's fast break layup tied the game at 51 with 13:02 remaining. Julian Reese's three-pointer and subsequent assist to Ayala gave the Terps a 59-58 lead with 7:28 left in the game. That became part of a stretch where Maryland hit five consecutive shots and took a 64-58 lead with 6:01 left. The scrappy Terps buckled down on defense and made Illinois work for every shot, as the XFINITY Center crowd matched the energy on the court. The Terps took the lead for good with a 7-0 spurt late in the second half. Maryland outscored Illinois 24-7 to end the game, tallying the last 11 points of the contest.
Up Next
The Terps will take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in Piscataway, New Jersey, on Tuesday, Jan. 25. The game is set to tip at 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
