As desperation takes hold, a second-half uprising carries Terps past Iowa

Four players scored in double figures for the Terrapins (14-11, 6-8 Big Ten), led by a game-high 21 points by Jahmir Young, the standout fifth-year point guard. Freshman guard DeShawn Harris-Smith scored a season-high 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting with six rebounds and three assists.

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Forward Julian Reese added 16 points and a game-high 13 rebounds to help Maryland, which won despite shooting 4 for 17 on three-pointers, avoid its longest losing streak of the season. The Terrapins went 24 for 29 (82.8 percent) at the free throw line one game after missing 10 free throws in a double-overtime loss at Ohio State on Saturday.

Four days later, the Terrapins got a dose of hope behind a spirited rally after they dug themselves a 54-44 deficit with 12:09 to play. The run, a 21-6 push over more than seven minutes, gave the Terrapins the lead for good and left Iowa (14-11, 6-8) out of sorts. It started after Willard’s timeout gave his players a chance to regroup.

“These guys have been playing so hard all year and giving ourselves chances,” Willard said. “I just kind of reminded them that we’ve been in this situation a lot, so everyone take a deep breath. It was more or less just calming them down.”

Young’s two free throws put Maryland ahead 62-60 with 6:57 to go, and Donta Scott followed with a baby hook. Reese made 1 of 2 foul shots shortly thereafter, and the Terrapins were on their way. Both wins over the Hawkeyes came after the Terps trailed by double figures.

“This was a huge win, man,” Willard said. “The Rutgers game [on Feb. 6] was a tough, tough, tough loss at home. I thought we battled and gave ourselves a chance on the road at Ohio State. To keep fighting — I’ve seen a lot of teams that have been through this that kind of just don’t come out and fight. These guys showed great heart, so for them I think it’s really important.”

Payton Sandfort scored a team-high 19 points for Iowa, which also got 11 from Ben Krikke.

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Injuries to several Terrapins made the comeback that much more difficult. The most notable ding came to forward Mady Traore early in the second half. The 6-foot-10 sophomore, making his second consecutive start, tumbled to the court along the baseline in front of the school band clutching his left leg and had to be assisted off the court with 17:36 to play.

The Terrapins were already without Jordan Geronimo after the forward departed the game for good during the first half with what school officials indicated was a knee injury after colliding with an Iowa player.

The win at home, even shorthanded, was more comfortable than the first meeting in Iowa City three weeks ago. In that victory, Young produced one of the Terrapins’ most memorable finishes of the year when he beat his defender to the basket for a layup with 1.5 seconds to play.

“This definitely means a lot, especially taking care of business at home and just keeping playing the games and taking care what we’ve got to take care of for later in this year,” Reese said. “Doing that is awesome and just building confidence for us for the rest of the season.”

But with just one win since toppling the Hawkeyes, Maryland entered this week mired among the bottom four of the Big Ten standings and in jeopardy of having to play on the first day of the conference tournament next month in Minneapolis. Anything short of winning the Big Ten championship probably will keep the Terrapins out of the NCAA tournament, at least based on criteria considered in the selection process.

Maryland has just two Quadrant 1 wins and faces just two more such opponents, including Saturday night against No. 14 Illinois, which the Terrapins beat, 76-67, on Jan. 14 in Champaign, Ill. That is their most significant victory but does little to help their bid chances.

In a move to alter recent sluggish beginnings, Willard deployed his second different starting lineup in as many games, promoting Jahari Long and sitting Jamie Kaiser Jr. against Iowa. Kaiser had started Saturday against the Buckeyes in place of Harris-Smith, a starter for the first 23 games this season.

The move did not have the desired effect, with Maryland falling behind almost immediately and forced to play catch-up the rest of the first half. The Terrapins trailed 37-31 at halftime after permitting Iowa to score eight straight points capped by Sandfort’s three-pointer for a 26-15 lead with 5:23 to play.

Maryland failed to catch a break even when it managed the rare cheer-inducing play. Such was the circumstance after Geronimo dunked: The senior immediately fouled Sandfort on a three-point attempt, leading to two of three free throws to expand the Hawkeyes’ lead to 28-17. He also hurt his knee on the play and did not reenter.

Geronimo had been back in the lineup, coming off the bench, after missing his first game of the season against the Buckeyes with an ailment in his right hand, playing with black protective athletic tape covering several fingers. The transfer from Indiana had started 21 games this season.