The University of Wisconsin was less than 12 minutes away from its biggest road win of the season, one that its defense would have delivered. It would have been a massive step in the right direction, considering the Badgers were holding one of the hottest teams in the league to less than a point per possession.
Over the next four minutes, however, the floodgates opened.
Maryland ignited its “Gold Out” crowd with a 14-2 run, ignited by three consecutive three-pointers that flipped momentum and carried the Terrapins to a 76-68 victory at the Xfinity Center Wednesday night.
The Badgers (16-5, 6-4 Big Ten) neutralized Maryland’s leading scorer in freshman center Derik Queen (3-for-14) from the floor but couldn’t truly contain the starting lineup.
All five starters for Maryland (17-5, 7-4 Big Ten) scored between 16 and 10 points, giving the Terrapins their own signature win and moved into sole possession of fourth place in the conference.
Senior John Tonje led all scorers with 23 points, but the Badgers have dropped two of their last three as they hit their halfway point of conference play in a three-way tie for fifth place.
UW had kept the crowd quiet most of the night until the three-pointers started hitting in bunches. Guards Deshawn Harris-Smith (three points), Ja’kobi Gillespie (16), and Rodney Rice (16) connected on three consecutive possessions to flip the game’s momentum.
When Rice hit a transition three a few possessions later, the Terrapins had their biggest lead at 57-50 with 6:56 remaining and all the momentum.
After starting the game 2-for-9 from three, the Terps hit 10 of their final 15 perimeter shots.
The Badgers responded with a 6-0 run to get within one with 5:53 remaining but could get no closer, as Maryland answered with a 12-2 run that put the game out of reach.
John Blackwell (10) and Steven Crowl (10 points, 9 rebounds) also reached double figures.
Wisconsin led for 13 minutes, 53 seconds of the first half but trailed by one at halftime, slowed by eight turnovers, four missed free throws (most in a half since January 10), and foul trouble to its top two scorers. Blackwell had no points, two turnovers, and two fouls in nine minutes while Tonje sat the final 3:57 with his two fouls.
Without its best two perimeter scorers on the floor, the Terrapins outscored them, 9-5, heading into the locker room.
What it means: Wisconsin still hasn’t lost a game outside Quad-1 all season, but the Badgers have to feel its last two losses (both Quad-1 road games) were there for the taking. These losses separate high NCAA Tournament seeds from middle -tier ones. UW’s best true road win came earlier this month at USC (No.74 in the NET).
Star of the game: Tonje was Wisconsin's only consistent means of offense, shooting 50 percent (8-for-16 from the floor) and hitting at least five three-pointers for the third straight game. Outside Tonje, UW went 14-for-43 from the floor (32.6 percent) and 4-for-21 from three (19.0), including 1-for-8 in the second half.
Stat of the game: The best shooting free-throw team in the country, Wisconsin went 15-for-21 from the foul line. It was the most missed free throws for the Badgers since they missed seven in their 86-80 loss at Illinois on December 10.
Reason to be Concerned: At what point does Max Klesmit’s shooting become a huge concern? Head coach Greg Gard and Klesmit have downplayed the struggles, but the senior went 1-for-8 from the floor and 1-for-6 from three-point range, dropping his three-point percentage to 26.4 percent in conference play.
Don’t overlook: Nolan Winter (9 points), turned disaster into success. The sophomore began driving before securing the ball near the three-point line. Instead of a Maryland fast break, Winter dove on the floor and outstretched Queen for the loose ball. While on his stomach, Winter passed to Blackwell, who delivered a perfect strike to Tonje for the two-handed slam.
The bucket gave UW a 39-36 lead and was part of a 9-0 run
What’s next: Wisconsin takes its shortest road trip of the season when it heads to Welsh-Ryan Arena to face Northwestern in Evanston, Ill., Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats (12-9, 3-7) have struggled since Big Ten play restarted, dropping six of eight with four losses to ranked teams. The Wildcats have two of the Big Ten's top ten scorers in junior Nick Martinelli (19.8 points per game, T-1st) and senior Brooks Barnhizer (17.6, 8th).
After Northwestern swept the season series in 2023, ending UW’s seven-game win streak, the Badgers returned the favor with two victories last season. The weekend tip is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be televised on FS1.
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