After a lethargic start against the physical Badgers, Willard’s team rallied with force Tuesday night at Kohl Center. But when his No. 13 Terps needed to seize control in the second half, they succumbed to sloppy play and scoring droughts. The Badgers pounced on those flaws, handing Maryland a 64-59 loss to end the perfect start to Willard’s debut season in College Park.
“We hurt ourselves because we didn’t take advantage of some of the opportunities we have,” Willard said. “They’re an excellent defensive team. You have to give them a lot of credit for them taking us out of our offense.”
The Terps (8-1, 1-1) climbed back from down 12 in the first half, and they secured a narrow edge midway through the second. But then they went nearly eight minutes without making a shot from the field, missing 10 in a row. In that time, Wisconsin took control and built an 11-point lead. Julian Reese missed a pair of free throws, Donta Scott missed the front end of a one-and-one, and the Terps couldn’t hit shots from close range — all missed chances to keep the game from slipping away.
By the time Jahmir Young and Don Carey converted from beyond the arc in the final minutes, it was too late. The Badgers (7-2, 1-0) handled Maryland’s pressure and hit enough free throws to keep the desperate Terps from pulling off a late miracle.
The Terps racked up 14 turnovers, including eight after halftime, compared with Wisconsin’s eight giveaways and just three after the break. Maryland finished the game shooting just 35.5 percent from two-point range, and two of its most dependable players — Hakim Hart (five points on 2-for-10 shooting) and Scott (nine points on 3-for-14 shooting) — had lackluster showings.
Entering this matchup, the Terps had dominated most games. Even when they edged then-No. 16 Illinois on Friday, they held the lead for much of the evening. Maryland had trailed for roughly eight of the 320 minutes it had played, but Tuesday, Maryland didn’t grab the lead until Reese hit a floater early in the second half.
After that, the Terps went five minutes without scoring, committing six turnovers in that stretch. The game didn’t slip away quite yet thanks to Wisconsin’s poor shooting. But when the Terps endured another cold stretch, the Badgers capitalized with a 16-4 run that turned Maryland’s one-point lead with 11:24 to go into an 11-point Wisconsin advantage with 3:46 left.
Before the game, Willard, who coached in the Big East for 12 years at Seton Hall, described Wisconsin as “the Big Ten version of Villanova” because the Badgers are “not flashy” but instead “super steady.” They showed that Tuesday, wearing down the Terps and maintaining their poise despite some offensive struggles.
Here’s what else to know about Maryland’s first loss:
Reese had several standout showings during nonconference play, including a 22-point burst in the first half against Coppin State, but Maryland’s previous two opponents, Louisville and Illinois, contained the sophomore. Reese had just 11 points combined in those games, and many Big Ten teams have frontcourt players who will pose significant challenges.
Wisconsin’s starting forwards — 7-foot Steven Crowl and 6-9 Tyler Wahl — were Maryland’s toughest test yet. They combined for 21 points, and Reese struggled on defense. (Wahl, matched up against Scott, didn’t have a great shooting night, finishing 3 for 10 for nine points.)
Willard described Wahl and Crowl as “great passers” out of the post, and with their teammates making shots from the perimeter, “they’re a tough guard,” he said.
Reese produced on the other end, finishing with 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting. He was second on the team in scoring behind Young, who had 17 points. Reese grabbed six rebounds while adding two assists and three turnovers. He committed his fourth foul with 9:52 left, forcing Maryland to lean on a smaller lineup for a few minutes.
Reese said he felt more comfortable as the game went on. Reese, a sophomore in his first season as a starter, will continue to draw difficult matchups as the conference slate goes on.
The Terps began the game unable to knock down three-pointers despite some good looks, and they struggled to finish around the rim. Maryland missed five three-pointers before Scott finally hit one nearly seven minutes in, and it took the Terps another 8½ minutes to sink their second basket from deep.
The Badgers exploited Maryland’s defense with their size in the paint and crisp passing. Their lead swelled as they hit 9 of 14 shots to start the game.
“It was definitely a challenge,” Young, a transfer from Charlotte still adjusting to Big Ten play, said of Wisconsin’s physicality. “Definitely had to kind of feel my way into that early on. I feel like we had a couple defensive lapses early to help them get going and we were a little stagnant on the offensive end.”
After the Terps had fallen into their double-digit hole, they surged back into the game with an 11-0 run. Maryland had struggled from the perimeter, but during that burst, it hit three straight. Carey later hit a three-pointer in the final minute before halftime to tie the score. From there, neither team had a lead of more than four points until Wisconsin capitalized on Maryland’s late drought to tilt the game in its favor.
