The Wolverines simply count not contain Jahmir Young. In front of a home crowd when the game was on the line, the ball was in his hands. Whether it was slashing to the rim and finishing in traffic, or knocking down crucial free throws, he could not be stopped.
Young had yet another dominant conference performance. He was a problem offensively and defensively, with 26 points and three steals.
“All the credit is to my teammates,” Young said. “Getting me open, setting good screens, and just repping it out in practice. Treating practice like games and just working hard. We’ve all worked so hard so it’s just time to display our talents when we’re on the floor.”
His ability to take over a game was the driving force in Maryland men’s basketball’s 64-58 victory over Michigan. The Terps played with grit and toughness, excelling on both ends of the floor.
Hunter Dickinson carried the load for the Wolverines with his outside shooting. He recorded a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
On Michigan’s first possession, the Wolverines wasted no time and fed their junior center, who connected on a simple hook over his smaller defender. Dickinson looked primed for another dominant performance against the Terps.
But Maryland responded with a small run and an overall irreconcilable start compared to the Terps’ last matchup with the Wolverines Jan 1. In just eight minutes, the Terps scored 15 points, which was two more than their first-half total in the first meeting.
Maryland went inside early, scoring eight of its first 11 in the paint. On the other end, its defense forced long-scoring droughts and played with high energy.
Maryland got hot and Michigan struggled to get a stop on defense midway through the first half. The Terps capped off an 8-0 run with a thunderous dunk in transition by senior guard Hakim Hart, giving them an 11-point lead. Maryland continued to dominate down low, with 18 of its first 23 points scored in the paint.
“I was very confident, since the first four minutes everybody played with a lot of energy and just kept everybody together,” Hart said. “Coaches and everybody was talking, even the crowd got into it, which gave us the victory.”
However, the Wolverines got their shooters open against the Terps’ zone defense, mainly freshman guard Jett Howard, who got loose for a pair of three-pointers. But it was Young who found his footing and was the first player on the court to score 10 points.
Freshman center Caelan Swanton-Rodger gave the Terps valuable minutes off the bench in the first half, with several defensive stops on Dickinson as well as great rebounding and one posterizing dunk over the top of the 7-foot-1 center.
“I think Cal’s seven minutes were probably the most important seven minutes we’ve had all year,” coach Kevin Willard said. “He came in, had a blocked shot, caught it, dunked it, but just being big and physical in there and just making it as tough for Hunter [Dickinson] as possible.”
In the final six and a half minutes of the first half, Michigan went on a 17-6 run, priming itselves for a second half resurgence. Two Dickinson threes gave him 10 points in the first half after a slow start, but he was getting it done on the defensive end against sophomore forward Julian Reese.
Sophomore guard Kobe Bufkin was held in check but it was Howard’s 11 points and three threes that helped Michigan mount a comeback. The Wolverines shot lights out from beyond the arc, taking on the opposite philosophy of the Terps.
For Maryland, Young notched 11 first half points and was on pace for another dominant Big Ten performance. Maryland was taking care of the ball and rebounding better, but Michigan only found itselves entering halftime down 34-32.
Young led the charge in the second half with his scoring, assisting, and stealing. Early in the half, senior forward Donta Scott capped off a nifty sequence where Young pickpocketed Howard and found Scott for a two-handed flush.
However, Maryland became relaxed and turned the ball over on back-to-back possessions. The Terps also struggled shooting from three, with just two makes with 13 minutes remaining. Junior forward Terrance Williams II tied the game at 42 with a fastbreak layup at the 12-minute mark.
Young often slashed to the rim at will using his quick first step to keep the Terps in front. His aggressiveness in all areas wore down the Wolverines’ defense.
“I think he’s playing as good as any player in the country right now,” Willard said. “I think he’s gotten comfortable with the length and size he has to go against every night. It’s a big adjustment.”
Hart and Scott added highlight worthy plays to regain the lead for the Terps. For Michigan, senior guard Joey Baker came off the bench and added five quick points as he kept the Wolverines in striking distance.
Young was toying with Bufkin and finished another layup at the rim, giving the Terps a 10-point lead. Dickinson responded with a three, keeping Michigan in the game. The physicality for both squads began to ramp up.
Maryland’s dominance in multiple facets of the game was the key to snapping a five-game losing streak to Michigan. The Terps’ ball security, offensive rebounding and touch around the rim was far too much for the Wolverines to overcome. Above all else, the Terps’ defense showed up and contained the big three of Dickinson, Howard and Bufkin.
“Maryland was the most aggressive team, especially not just in the second half but throughout the game,” coach Juwan Howard said. “If you look at the amount of points they scored in the paint and then also offensive rebounds, it’s tough winning on any level of play.”
Maryland will look to build off its win next time out, when it travels to West Lafayette for a daunting Big Ten matchup against No. 3 Purdue Jan 22.
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