COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Point guard Jahmir Young had 30 points and 11 rebounds to lead Maryland men’s basketball to an 80-73 win over No. 24 Ohio State at the Xfinity Center on Sunday afternoon.
In what has been a month of offensive futility for Maryland, Young showed he could be the answer to their scoring woes. He recorded the first 30-point, 10-rebound game by a Terps guard since Greivis Vasquez had a triple-double with 35 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against North Carolina on Feb. 21, 2009. Young’s points total tied a career-high and the double-double the seventh of his career.The victory ends the Terps’ five-game losing streak to Power Five opponents.
Trailing by five points at halftime, Maryland’s offense came to life right after the break as it went on a 14-0 run over the first six minutes. Senior forward Donta Scott and guard Don Carey converted back-to-back 3-pointers before Young cut to the basket for a contested layup that gave Maryland a 48-39 advantage.
Maryland (11-5, 2-3 Big Ten) continually attacked the basket, scoring 12 straight points in the paint to stretch its lead to 60-46 with 9:41 left.
Led by forwards Brice Sensabaugh (22 points) and Justice Sueing (21 points), Ohio State (10-5, 2-2) managed to go on a 13-2 run to cut Maryland’s lead to three with 6:15 remaining, but that was the closest the Buckeyes would get in the final minutes.
Four Terps scored in double figures to aid Young’s big performance as senior guard Hakim Hart had 12 points, Scott added 12 and sophomore Julian Reese posted 10.
After scoring 96 points combined in losses to Rutgers and Michigan, Maryland badly needed a strong offensive performance on Sunday. Ohio State entered the game ranking third in the Big Ten in points per game (80.9), second in field goal percentage (.494) and 3-point percentage (.378), so the Terps knew they were likely in for a high-scoring contest.
For a moment, the Terps appear to have solved the first-half shooting woes that has plagued them in recent weeks. Both teams traded shots early as Young drained an open 3-pointer only to watch Sensabaugh do the same at the other end. On the following possession, Carey nailed an outside shot before Ohio State’s Sean McNeil pump faked then converted a go-ahead 3-pointer.
With the game knotted at 14 at the 13-minute mark of the first, Maryland was able to create some breathing room. Junior guard Ian Martinez dribbled to the basket for a contested layup. Hart then got a steal and raced down the floor for a layup and foul. After Scott went 0-for-9 from deep in the previous three games, Scott nailed a 3-pointer from the wing to give Maryland a 23-16 advantage with 11:16 left in the first half.
The Terps, however, made just one of their last 16 shot attempts to close the first half as Ohio State stormed back behind Sueing and Sensabaugh, who combined for 21 points in the first 20 minutes, to take a 39-34 advantage at halftime.
