Gophers trounce Terrapins
Minnesota beats No. 24 Maryland 89-75 for 6th straight win
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Dupree McBrayer scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half, and Minnesota beat struggling No. 24 Maryland 89-75 on Wednesday night for its sixth straight victory.
The Golden Gophers (21-7, 9-6 Big Ten) are undefeated since losing to Maryland (22-6, 10-5) on Jan. 28. It was Minnesota’s third consecutive road win, its longest run in the conference since 1989-90.
Down 53-50, the Gophers got 12 points from McBrayer in a 20-7 run that broke open a game that had gone back and forth to that point.
Nate Mason scored 17 points and Akeem Springs added 16 for Minnesota, which committed only six turnovers — two after halftime.
Maryland standout guard Melo Trimble went 4 for 12 from the field and the Terrapins went 7 for 27 beyond the arc in losing for the fourth time in six games. Backup center Ivan Bender scored a career-high 15 points for Maryland and Trimble and Anthony Cowan each had 11.
Maryland had a three-point lead when freshman Justin Jackson missed a 3-pointer that would have made it 56-50.
McBrayer drilled a 3 on the other end, then added two field goals before Eric Curry scored in the lane to make it 59-53 with 10:47 remaining.
Just when it seemed as if the game was getting away from Maryland, Trimble connected from long range to spark a 7-2 surge that got the Terrapins within a point.
That would be as close as Maryland would get.
A jumper by McBrayer, four straight points by Jordan Murphy and a 3 by McBrayer made it 70-60 with 6:24 remaining.
A first half that featured four ties and four lead changes ended with the Terrapins in front 35-34.
After Maryland used a 10-0 run to take a 21-17 lead, the Gophers rattled off 10 straight points to move back in front. It was 29-23 before a dunk by L.G. Gill ignited another 10-point spree for the Terps.
Bender went 6 for 8 to score 12 points, surpassing his career high of 10. Trimble had five assists to offset his 1-for-7 shooting.
BIG PICTURE
Minnesota: The Golden Gophers’ late surge during the regular season shows they just might be a serious threat in the Big Ten Tournament.
Maryland: The Terrapins have run out of steam since getting off to the best start in school history (20-2). This lopsided loss at home is further proof the team is headed in the wrong direction at the wrong time.
UP NEXT
Minnesota: The Gophers host Penn State, looking to even the score after falling to the Nittany Lions 52-50 on Jan. 14.
Maryland: The Terrapins play at home against Iowa, a team they defeated 84-76 on Jan. 19 behind a 20-point performance by Trimble.
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