Maryland Basketball: Jalen Smith seals crucial win over No. 24 Nebraska

Maryland basketball (11-3, 2-1 Big Ten) and the 24th ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers (11-3, 1-2 Big Ten) had another New Year’s matchup to start Big Ten play, and it did not disappoint.

Anthony Cowan Jr. and Bruno Fernando played big in this game but it was Jalen Smith who led them to victory.

The Cornhuskers won last year’s matchup 67-65, and it was another close game early on as both offenses were producing well.

James Palmer Jr. was the one player that Maryland had to contain. The second leading scorer in the Big Ten had 13 first-half points to lead all scorers in addition to five rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

Both teams were knocking down three-point shots in the first half but what stuck out in the first half was Nebraska’s defensive strategy against Fernando. When he got the ball in the post, they didn’t immediately double him.

At halftime, Nebraska had a four-point, 39-35 halftime lead. Fernando had eight points, and nine rebounds and Cowan Jr. had 10 points to end the first half.

Maryland started the second half strong but at the 15:51 timeout, they missed eight shots in a row only making one shot in the last eight minutes up to that point.

They were only down six, 44-39, but Nebraska’s lead had the potential to get bigger.

Isaiah Roby was another guy for the Cornhuskers who played well. He had a highlight reel dunk and rebounded the ball well.

Two open threes by Aaron Wiggins and Cowan Jr. tied the game at 49 with 11:59 to go in the game. Maryland basketball had a 10-2 run at this point.

A three-ball by Cowan Jr. gave Maryland Basketball a 63-60 lead and some momentum with under 7 minutes to go in the game.

This is where both teams had an opportunity to take the game. Nebraska had a chance to stretch their lead to 10 points, failed and as a result, the game was a toss-up. Smith made several big plays down the stretch to make an impact on the game.

With under three minutes to go, Smith ran out in transition and converted an and one opportunity off of a two-handed slam. With 3.8 seconds left, Smith sealed the victory with a floater in the lane.

Maryland got their first win over a ranked opponent since beating No. 18 Purdue 72-61 in 2016. The 74-72 victory gives the team confidence moving forward.

Cowan finished the game with 19 points four assists and three rebounds, Fernando finished with 18 points, a career-high 17 rebounds and two blocks. Smith had 15 points and four rebounds. Palmer Jr. led Nebraska with 26 points and seven rebounds.