Maryland Basketball: 2019-20 keys to home victory over Michigan State
By Jason Belt
Maryland Basketball was on the ropes against Minnesota on Wednesday before a furious second-half comeback changed things. Can the Terps complete a season sweep of the Spartans?
For the second time this season, Michigan State and Maryland Basketball will be facing off on College Gameday.
The first matchup lived up to the hype, as it took a late surge by Anthony Cowan Jr. for Maryland to knock off the Spartans at the Breslin Center. The senior guard drained three straight three-pointers in the final two minutes, capping the comeback and practically willing the Terps to a crucial road win.
That was two weeks ago, and although it seems like a short time, a lot of things have changed since that Saturday night in East Lansing.
Michigan State (19-9, 11-6 Big Ten) has won both of their contests since the last matchup, defeating Nebraska and Iowa. They have closed the gap in the Big Ten standings, and a win against Maryland would have them in the running for a potential share of the title.
Maryland (23-5, 13-4 Big Ten) fell on the road to Ohio State last Sunday, snapping their nine-game winning streak.
It looked as if they were going to suffer their second straight loss against Minnesota, but a miraculous second-half comeback prevented the upset.
Junior Darryl Morsell knocked down a three-pointer with 1.9 seconds to go, giving Maryland the one-point victory in Minneapolis.
Maryland was dealing with foul trouble in the first half, as Jalen Smith was called for two early fouls and was forced to sit for almost the entire half. This led to Minnesota grabbing a 17 point lead and it looked as if they were going to run away with things.
At the start of the second half, Smith was able to assert himself into the game, getting a few quick baskets and dominating the glass. Late in the game, a couple of Maryland fastbreak points closed the gap and suddenly it was a four-point deficit.
With Minnesota leading 73-71, they missed the front end of a one-and-one, leading to the Morsell game-winning three on the other end.
This was a huge confidence builder for the Terps, as they have to turn right around and get ready for Michigan State on Saturday night in College Park. Here are three keys for Maryland to defeat Michigan State and clinch a share of the Big Ten title.