COLLEGE PARK, Md. — On a day when Maryland men’s basketball honored its 2002 NCAA championship team, the Terps used the energy surging throughout Xfinity Center to upset No. 22 Ohio State, 75-60, Sunday afternoon.
The Terps have shown during this season that they play their best basketball when senior Eric Ayala and graduate transfer Fatts Russell are scoring at a high level. That was the case against Ohio State, as Ayala (23 points) and Russell (career-high 27 points) combined for 50 points on 17-for-36 shooting to help Maryland earn its third win over a ranked opponent this season. The duo also shot 8-for-15 from beyond the arc and 8-for-10 from the free-throw line.
Ayala took over the first half, scoring 13 points, but it was Rusell who took over down the stretch as he got hot from 3-point land. He dropped 19 second-half points, three of which came with 2:34 left and sent the home crowd into a frenzy. His step-back 3-pointer gave the Terps a 72-57 advantage, and his last of six made threes on 10 attempts with 1:18 left brought a wide smile.
Up 61-53 with less than five minutes remaining, Ayala drained the shot-clock after an offensive rebound, stepped to his left and buried a deep off-balance 3-pointer from the corner for an 11-point lead.
Donta Scott added 14 points and nine rebounds while his offensive rebounding was essential to Maryland’s 17 second-chance points. The Terps finished the afternoon shooting 46.4% from the floor.
Maryland (14-15, 6-12 Big Ten) jumped out to a strong 8-0 lead, as its defense was disruptive and foced the Buckeyes to settle for outside shots. With 17:11 on the clock, Russell knocked down a 3-pointer, surpassing 2,000 career points, as Xfinity Center was rocking.
After a timeout, the Buckeyes (18-8, 11-6) settled in, going on a 14-4 run to take a two-point lead with 11:42 to go in the first half. However, Ohio State couldn’t create much separation, as it made only one of its first nine 3-point attempts. The Buckeyes were plagued with poor 3-point shooting throughout the first half and finished the stanza 3-for-16 from deep. The Terps were no different, however, converting 3-of-10 attempts.
Maryland, on the other hand, began feeding off Ayala, who was constantly attacking the basket while his 3-pointer gave the Terps a 25-21 lead with 6:21 left in the half. The Terps took a six-point lead when Ayala passed the ball to Russell for a fast-break layup while getting fouled. Ayala and Russell finished with a combined 21 first-half points, as the Terps went into the locker room with a 32-28 advantage.
The Terps opened the second half strong and built their lead to eight. However, Buckeyes guard Jamari Wheeler wasn’t letting his team go down without a fight, scoring eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, to make it a two-point game.
Qudus Wahab’s defense was essential to Maryland staying in front, as he did a solid job contesting shot attempts from Ohio State forward Zed Key, who had 14 points and seven rebounds in the previous matchup. Foul trouble followed the Georgetown transfer, however, as he picked up three fouls in less than a minute.
Despite a combined 12 fouls called in the opening seven minutes, the Terps still found ways to keep their momentum flowing. Russell knocked down a 3-pointer for a 44-40 lead and moments later, Scott grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled while converting a layup to give his team a 47-42 edge with 11:26 to go.
The upset over the Buckeyes started to feel possible after Russell drained his fourth 3-pointer for a 61-53 lead. A few plays later, Scott grabbed an offensive rebound before Ayala knocked down a stepback 3-pointer as part of the Terps’ 7-0 run.
Ayala then put the nail in the coffin. The Buckeyes were scoreless for more than three minutes when the senior guard drove to the rim for a layup and foul, extending Maryland’s lead to 68-55 with 3:05 left.
MINNESOTA@MARYLAND
Wednesday, 9 p.m.
