Coming off of a home win over Michigan, the Terps went on the road and pulled a stunner Sunday, defeating No. 10 Illinois for the program's first win over a top-10 team away from Xfinity Center since beating No. 6 Wisconsin in Madison back on Dec. 28, 2020. Senior guard Jahmir Young led the way once again, scoring a game-high 28 points while also adding a game-high eight assists. Junior big man Julian Reese was dominant in the paint, finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season.
With the win over the Illini, the Terps improved to 3-3 in league play, climbing back to .500 with a road contest at Northwestern on Wednesday, Jan. 17 on deck.
Below are three takeaways from the win.
Terps dominate Illini in the paint
Illinois entered Sunday's contest versus the Terps with a reputation as one of the toughest teams in the paint not just in the Big Ten, but nationally. But it was the Terps who dominated down low on this day, outscoring the Illini 52-26 in the paint.
Junior big JuJu Reese was the star in the paint, finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds for his 8th double-double of the season. He was an efficient 8-of-16 from the field and was able to regularly beat Illini big Coleman Hawkins with a jump hook over the shoulder. He was 4-of-7 from the charity stripe but also added a block and a couple of steals.
It wasn't all Reese down low, however, as Indiana transfer Jordan Geronimo also came up big inside, finishing with 9 points, four rebounds and three blocks. Three of Geronimo's four rebounds were on the offensive boards, including one first-half rebound where he skied over the defender.
Even sophomore Canadian 7-footer Caelum Swanton-Rodger got into the action with a nice finish down under the basket off a beautiful entry pass from Jahmir Young while also adding a rebound in just four minutes of action.
Defensively, the Terps held Hawkins scoreless in the first half as he finished with just 8 points, his lowest scoring output since Dec. 2, before fouling out.
Unlikely heroes step up in big spots
While Young and Reese did the majority of the scoring for the Terps, they had some unlikely teammates step up in some big spots when their team needed them the most Sunday in Champaign.
After trailing by as many as nine points midway through the opening half, the Terps were able to chip away at the lead over the final 10 minutes. The shot that tied the game with just over three minutes left in the opening half came from an unlikely source in sophomore guard Noah Batchelor, who made his first three-pointer of the season versus a Big Ten opponent to tie the game at 33 all.
In the second half it was Geronimo who came up big for Maryland with a corner three to give the Terps their first four-point lead and make it a two-possession game.
Then following a four-point mini-run by Coleman Hawkins, it was freshman guard DeShawn Harris-Smith who knocked down a corner three to put the Terps back up seven and keep the momentum in the Terps' favor with four minutes left in the game.
Make no mistake about it, three-point shooting is still a major issue for this Terps team, but it was good to see some young guys step up in some big moments and hit some big shots on the road.
A win the Terps can build off of
It is no secret that the Terps struggled on the road in league play under head coach Kevin Willard last season, going just 1-9 away from Xfinity Center. It was more of the same to start this season, with road losses at Indiana and Minnesota.
Sunday's win over No. 10 Illinois could start to change the narrative of the current season. It marks the program's first road win over a top-10 opponent since the Terps beat No. 6 Wisconsin back on Dec. 28, 2020. It also marked the first road win over a ranked opponent for head coach Kevin Willard since taking over at Maryland.
The Terps have now won back-to-back league games for the first time this season with another road test at Northwestern this week before hosting Michigan State a week from now. If the Terps could win the next couple of games, they'd have a chance to possibly climb back into the conversation for an NCAA Tournament bid.
Not a Terrapin Sports Report subscriber? Join today for access to all our premium content and message board community. Already an insider? Join the conversation on the TERPS INSIDER PREMIUM FORUM!
