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Maryland Basketball: Takeaways from comeback road win over Michigan State

ByAnthony Brown|
EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 15: Anthony Cowan Jr. #1 of the Maryland Terrapins celebrates after the game against the Michigan State Spartans at the Breslin Center on February 15, 2020 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 15: Anthony Cowan Jr. #1 of the Maryland Terrapins celebrates after the game against the Michigan State Spartans at the Breslin Center on February 15, 2020 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
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Maryland Basketball
EAST LANSING, MI – FEBRUARY 15: Anthony Cowan Jr. #1 of the Maryland Terrapins celebrates after the game against the Michigan State Spartans at the Breslin Center on February 15, 2020 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

Maryland basketball beat Michigan State in the Breslin Center thanks to their closer, Anthony Cowan Jr.

Maryland basketball with a loss could have been satisfied with a 7-1 record over the last eight games and continued as normal. Anthony Cowan Jr. had other plans.

The Terps wanted to get the weight off their shoulders from last year’s loss at the Breslin Center. Michigan State gave them a lesson in executing in the hustle categories: fast break points, points off turnovers, second-chance points. The Spartans won most of those same stat categories in this game except for fast-break points (17-13 Maryland basketball).

In the first half, Maryland basketball outrebounded Michigan State 22-13 and when they got to the line, they knocked down 10 of their 11 free throws. The Spartans could get more than one bucket from the three-point line in the half (1-of-8).

The Terps finished the half with a 39-31 lead. At the 3:53 mark, they were up 34-22. The Spartans went on a 9-5 run to close the gap.

Anthony Cowan Jr. led the Terps with 13 points and four assists. Eric Ayala followed him with nine points.

Xavier Tillman led the Spartans with 14 points and six rebounds. Cassius Winston had nine points.

The Terps held Rocket Watts to five points and three rebounds. It was his three-pointer in the second half that cut the Terps lead to one, 43-42. The game was up for grabs after that.

Michigan State took a 58-53 lead under five minutes to go and it wouldn’t have been naive to think that they were going to finish the job by playing solid defense and converting their opportunities offensively.

Anthony Cowan Jr. had none of that. Big-time players make big-time plays when it counts.

After Jalen Smith cut the Spartans lead to four, 60-56, Cowan Jr. scored 11 of the Terps final points to seal the 67-60 victory. Just like he did against Illinois in that one-point win at home, he put the team on his back. He finished with 24 points and four rebounds. Smith recorded a 17 point and 10 rebound double-double.

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