Maryland Terrapins Clinch Dramatic 79-78 Win Against Indiana
BLOOMINGTON, IN – In a thrilling showdown at Assembly Hall on Sunday, the Maryland Terrapins squeaked out a dramatic 79-78 victory over the Indiana Hoosiers. With Rodney Rice sinking a crucial three-pointer with just 5.7 seconds remaining, the No. 19-ranked Maryland team improved to 16-5 overall and 6-4 in Big Ten play.
The win marked Maryland’s third straight victory, the second consecutive on the road, and five in their last six games. It was also their third triumph against a Quad 1 opponent this season.
Rodney Rice Leads All Scorers
Rice led all scorers with 23 points, shooting 8-of-13 from the field and a career-high 5-of-7 from three-point range. This performance was his third this season where he led the Terps in scoring. He was one of three players to make three or more threes, with the team sinking 12 overall, the seventh time this season they’ve hit 10 or more threes in a game.
WHAT A SHOT BY RODNEY RICE 😳
He puts @TerrapinHoops up by one 👀#B1GMBBall on CBS 📺 pic.twitter.com/jToin9pfBf
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 26,2025
Ja’Kobi Gillespie Records Key Triple-Double
Ja’Kobi Gillespie contributed 18 points and nine assists, the third straight game he has amassed 15+ points and 5+ assists. Selton Miguel also played a crucial role, scoring 15 points and hitting 13 in the second half.
Julian Reese added 14 points and 10 rebounds, earning his 31st career double-double. This marked his ninth this season, and since 1996-97, Reese has recorded the third-most double-doubles of any Terp in program history. Overall, he ranks eighth in double-doubles in Maryland’s history.
Breaking Down the Action
The game was tightly contested from start to finish, with several key moments in both halves:
- The Terps briefly held the lead early in the first half, thanks to back-to-back threes from Gillespie and Rice, along with baskets from Miguel and Derik Queen.
- Despite Indiana’s short 6-0 spurt, Maryland responded with a 7-0 run, culminating in a dunk by Tafara Gapare.
- Entering halftime, Maryland led 38-37, with Rice pacing all scorers with 10 points. It was the first time three Terps scored 10 or more in a half.
- Indiana seized the lead in the second half, but Gillespie and Rice hit back-to-back threes to give Maryland a 70-65 edge.
- Myles Rice of Indiana reclaimed the lead with 4 minutes remaining, but Gillespie tied it with 28 seconds left. Rice then sealed the win with a three-pointer.
Maryland wins a CLOSE ONE on the road 🐢#B1GMBBall x @TerrapinHoops pic.twitter.com/3KDYRV2XLD
— Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) January 26, 2025
Indiana’s Top Performers
The Hoosiers were led by Mackenzie Mgbako with 15 points and five rebounds, Myles Rice with 16 points and three assists, and Oumar Ballo, who scored 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Double-Figure Factors
Several Maryland players contributed significant points to the victory:
- Rice had his 14th game scoring double figures this season with 23 points.
- Gillespie recorded his 17th double-digit game of the season, leading all Terps.
- Reese added his 14th double-digit game of the season with 14 points.
- Miguel, who leads the team in scoring, tallied 15 points, marking his 15th double-digit game this season.
Picked off by Derik Queen 💪
He dishes it to Miguel for the quick two 👀 @TerrapinHoops #B1GMBBall on CBS 📺 pic.twitter.com/9N0yHf0YIb
— Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) January 26, 2025
Juju Beast
Julian Reese’s standout performance continued. He recorded his 31st career double-double, the third-most in Maryland history since 1996-97. Reese now holds the eighth spot in the school’s all-time double-double list and is poised to move up.
Reese also maintains his position on the all-time rebounding list, sitting at 883 rebounds, with Larry Gibson just ahead. Reese’s defensive prowess is evident, with 157 career blocks, currently eighth in program history.
We had to take another look 🙂↔️#B1GMBBall x @TerrapinHoops https://t.co/tVSlfEfaKN pic.twitter.com/IPnGOYr5ub
— Maryland On BTN (@MarylandOnBTN) January 26, 2025
Numbers and Nuggets
A few interesting statistics from the game:
- This was the first time three Terps scored 10 or more points in the first half this season.
- Maryland’s success continued with three consecutive wins and five in the last six games.
- The Terps have three wins against Quad 1 opponents this season.
- Five starters average double-digit points.
- The team has hit 10 or more threes in a game seven times, with 454 consecutive games featuring at least one three-pointer.
Gillespie feeds it to Gapare for the alley-oop slam ‼️ @TerrapinHoops #B1GMBBall on CBS 📺 pic.twitter.com/9nYLL7oBLW
— Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) January 26, 2025
Looking Ahead
The Terps’ next challenge will come on Jan. 29 at the XFINITY Center, where they will face No. 18 Wisconsin. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network and
