Maryland men’s basketball are preparing for a rematch against Oregon in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Oregon defeated the Terps by 10 points in January. The game takes place in Chicago and will be available to stream.
Terps Seek to Avenge Earlier Loss
Oregon, as the No. 16 seed, will be Maryland’s first challenge in the Big Ten Tournament. Maryland, seeded No. 17, lost to Oregon earlier in the season by 64-54. That defeat marked the beginning of a difficult stretch for Maryland, losing eight of nine games. The sole victory during that period was against Penn State.
In the previous encounter, Maryland struggled from beyond the arc, making only seven of 35 attempts. Andre Mills had a poor shooting performance, going 1-of-10 from the floor. The other guards, Darius Adams, Isaiah Watts and Diggy Coit, combined to shoot 9-of-32.
Solomon Washington led all scorers for Maryland with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Oregon’s Frontcourt Posed Problems
Oregon’s frontcourt duo of Nate Bittle and Kwame Evans Jr. proved a difficult matchup for Maryland. Bittle and Evans Jr. combined for 28 points. Takai Simpkins added 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Oregon took the lead early in the game and never trailed, despite Maryland closing the gap on multiple occasions. Following the loss to Oregon, Maryland suffered a 91-48 defeat to Michigan State and a 93-63 loss against Purdue.
A Chance for Redemption
After a poor run, Maryland had wins in three of five games through the middle of February. However, four straight defeats to end the season have sunk them. The Terps will look to avoid the same fate as the women’s team when meeting the Ducks in their first Big Ten tournament game.
Maryland concluded its regular season with a 78-72 loss to Illinois. The loss to the Illini guaranteed Maryland the No. 17 seed in the Big Ten.
The Terps were still trying to outshoot their opponents. At the time, Maryland was just three games removed from losing Pharrel Payne for the second time.
The Terps and the Ducks will play their first-round contest in Chicago, with the game available to stream on Peacock.