Maryland Basketball has won their sixth straight game with a season sweep of Illinois and they earned first place in the Big Ten.
The battle for the Big Ten’s best team happened under the bright lights of the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois.
No. 9 Maryland basketball 19-4 (9-3 Big Ten) and No. 20 Illinois Fighting Illini 16-7 (8-4 Big Ten) have put themselves in position for the number one spot in the conference due to their consistency in the win column.
The Terps defense held Kofi Cockburn to nine points and eight rebounds in the first meeting. With a loud crowd behind him, that could change, and he has played very well for Illinois. The seven-footer averages close to a double-double this season.
For Illinois, Ayo Dosunmu has been a major player in their success. He averages 16 points per game and shoots at 48 percent from the field. The Terps have to keep eyes on him in this game. He went for 27 points and seven rebounds in a recent win against the Michigan Wolverines.
Trent Frazier and Andres Feliz were Illinois’ only double-figure scorers when they played back in December. Cowan Jr., Jalen Smith, and Darryl Morsell contributed big minutes for the Terps.
Anthony Cowan Jr. came through when the Terps needed him to. In the last five minutes of the game, he took over and led the Terps to a one-point victory.
Coming into this game, the Fighting Illini needed to have a plan for him defensively. Could they execute? That was a question that needed an answer.
For the Terps, avoiding early turnovers and finding a rhythm through good shot selection were going to be important in the first ten minutes of the game.
The Terps left the State Farm Center with a 75-66 victory. Cowan Jr. finished with 20 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. Morsell had 18 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Smith notched his sixth straight double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds). They handed Illinois their first Big Ten home loss. Check out the takeaways from the matchup.