Smith Scores 25, No. 17 Maryland Beats Northwestern 77-66
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Jalen Smith scored a career-high 25 points, and No. 17 Maryland rallied to beat Northwestern 77-66 on Tuesday night.
The Terrapins trailed by as much as 15 in the first half and were down 10 in the second when they went on a 15-2 run.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Aaron Wiggins and Anthony Cowan Jr. gave Maryland (15-4, 5-3 Big Ten) its first lead of the game at 56-55 with 9:10 remaining before Smith punctuated it with a hard dunk. Smith also hit a huge 3 with just under two minutes left to make it 72-63, lifting the Terrapins to their second straight win after back-to-back losses.
Smith, a sophomore, surpassed his previous high of 21 points against Minnesota last season. Wiggins scored 17. And Maryland came away with the win after dropping four straight away from home despite shooting just 35%.
Pat Spencer led Northwestern (6-12, 1-7) with 17 points. Miller Kopp scored 16. But the Wildcats lost for the eighth time in nine games.
Northwestern came into the game ranked 13th in the Big Ten in scoring, but took a 40-26 lead to the locker room after a blistering first half.
Kopp scored 11 and Nance added nine points. Northwestern shot 15 of 25 overall, made 4 of 6 3's and clamped down on Maryland. Cowan and Jalen Smith each scored just four points, and the Terrapins shot just 6 of 25 overall and 5 of 17 from beyond the arc.
Northwestern led 36-21 after a floater by A.J. Turner and had a 14-point lead at the half.
BIG PICTURE
Maryland: Though the Terrapins struggled in the early going, they steadied themselves down the stretch. They also seem to be getting their footing back, beating Purdue and Northwestern after getting pounded at Iowa and losing by two at Wisconsin.
Northwestern: The Wildcats built the big lead early on, only to drop another tight game after losing by four at Illinois on Saturday.
UP NEXT
Maryland: The Terrapins will try to make it a two-game sweep when they visit Indiana on Sunday. Maryland beat the Hoosiers 75-59 on Jan. 4.
Northwestern: The Wildcats will try to stop their skid when they host Ohio State on Sunday.
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