Maryland men’s basketball looked to shut the door on Penn State leading by two in the final few seconds of regulation. Jahari Long fouled Ace Baldwin Jr. on an inbound pass, allowing the Nittany Lion guard to drain two free throws and send the game to overtime.
The Terps took a five-point lead with two minutes left in the extra period. But the Nittany Lions didn’t go away. Pairs of free throws from guards Baldwin and Kanye Clary cut Penn State’s deficit back to one, and Maryland needed a put-away bucket.
Jahmir Young surveyed at the top of the key. DeShawn Harris-Smith sank along the baseline, waiting near the dunker’s spot with a free look to the rim. Young found him, whipping the ball inside for the tough bucket and the and-one, erupting the Xfinity Center crowd as the freshman roared back in excitement.
“I really just [saw] the defense loading up, staring at the basketball. They were getting lazy in helpside,” Young said. “It was a good cut by DeShawn. When he cut backdoor he was wide open, so I just had to make sure I got it to him.”
It wasn’t always pretty — Maryland shot poorly yet again, finishing the night 34 percent from the field and 20 percent from three — but coach Kevin Willard’s team prevailed when it mattered most, staying undefeated at home while defeating Penn State, 81-75, in its Big Ten home opener.
Maryland (5-4, 1-1 Big Ten) recorded four turnovers in the first five minutes of the contest. Penn State (4-5, 0-1 Big Ten) jumped out to an early 15-7 lead after the Terps started the game 3-for-11 from the field and 0-for-4 from three.
But the defensive intensity remained high. Jordan Geronimo hounded a Nittany Lion ball handler late in the shot clock to force a violation and a turnover, firing up the Xfinity Center crowd seven minutes into the contest.
Young and Julian Reese were Maryland’s lone sources of offense, giving energy to an otherwise lifeless team. The pair combined for 52 of the team’s 81 points, including an unanswered 7-0 run midway through the opening period.
Maryland’s offensive struggles resulted in boos raining down from the mostly full student section, most notably after a bad pass by Donta Scott led to a Penn State steal and a Nittany Lion fastbreak. The Terps trailed 20-9 at that point and the game appeared close to unraveling.
Ball movement was an issue in the opening half, as Penn State loaded up on drivers while leaving the corner three open. With the clogged lane, Maryland recorded just three first half assists compared to eight turnovers. Those struggles continued into the second half as the Terps recorded one assist and four turnovers in the initial six minutes.
Willard’s squad scored the first four points of the second half to take an early 32-30 lead. The offense stagnated from there, scoring just six points across the ensuing seven minutes as the Nittany Lions took a 44-37 advantage.
Penn State forward Zach Hicks fired away with no hesitation from beyond the arc. He hurled nine threes and drained three of them as the Terps’ defense allowed him opportunities to spot up.
Hicks made the score 49-43 after his second three with 9:35 left in the game. It was then, once again, Young and Reese who scored back-to-back buckets to ignite the crowd and cut the Penn State lead to just one. Jamie Kaiser Jr. then drew a foul and knocked down both free throws to give Maryland a 50-49 lead.
Both teams continued to trade blows down the stretch. Down 57-56 in the final five minutes and needing a bucket, Scott took the ball to the left wing for a one-on-one. He dribbled his way into the paint and flung up a short jumper, seeing it fall through the net for his first two points of the night. The forward finished the evening 2-for-11 from the field.
Reese was the central force for the Terps when the game was in its most crucial stages. The junior converted 9-of-11 second-half free throws and forced Penn State big man Qudus Wahab to foul out with 4:04 remaining.
“[Penn State] was sending doubles, but I’m pretty used to that now,” Reese said. “A lot of teams have been doing that so far this year. I feel like I made them pay with some passes to [Kaiser].”
Maryland then pulled through in overtime, getting to the line six times to earn a six-point victory and a much-needed confidence boost — especially for Harris-Smith, who seemed to let out some built-up frustration after his late-game bucket.
“Unfortunately, he’s with me every morning right now until we get this all figured out,” coach Kevin Willard said in reference to Harris-Smith’s shooting struggles, who shot 2-for-6 on Wednesday. “Me and him are seeing light at the end of the tunnel with his shot. I know his percentage is not good, but he will get there by the time the year is over.”
