Field Level Media
Aug 20, 2012
Anthony Cowan Jr. scored 19 points as No. 24 Maryland defeated Ohio State 72-62 in a Big Ten Conference game Saturday to secure a season sweep of the Buckeyes.
Serrel Smith Jr. added a career-high 14 points off the bench for the Terrapins (21-7, 12-5 Big Ten), who improved to 7-1 in conference home games.
Bruno Fernando had all 14 of his points after the break for the Terrapins, who played without freshman guard Eric Ayala (illness) for the entire second half.
Fernando also finished with 10 rebounds, giving him his 18th double-double of the season, tying Joe Smith (1994-95) for the fifth most in a season in Maryland history.
Duane Washington Jr. scored 15 points off the bench for Ohio State (17-10, 7-9), which had won four of six entering the day but were without senior guard C.J. Jackson. The Buckeyes' second-leading scorer at 12.5 points per game sat out with a shoulder injury and was listed as day to day.
Maryland held Kaleb Wesson, Ohio State's top scorer at 14.7 points per game, to seven points on 3 of 12 shooting.
It marked the third time in the last four seasons that Maryland completed a season sweep of the Buckeyes. The Terrapins won 75-61 at Ohio State on Jan. 18 and are 6-2 against the Buckeyes since entering the Big Ten in 2014-15.
Ohio State, meanwhile, lost out on one of its last remaining chances to add a quality road victory to its postseason resume. The Buckeyes still have a trip to face a high-quality opponent when they meet Purdue on March 2.
After a sluggish opening few minutes, Maryland took the lead for good with 10:11 left in the first half. The Terrapins appeared to have put the Buckeyes away, rattling off a 13-0 run early in the second half to grab a 52-36 advantage.
But after a drought of more than five minutes, the Buckeyes rediscovered their offense, especially from the perimeter. Ohio State hit four 3-pointers as part of a 19-5 burst, including Justin Ahrens' 3-pointer with 5:34 to go to pull the Buckeyes within 57-55.
Ohio State would not get closer. The Terrapins went on a 7-0 run punctuated when Fernando collected an offensive rebound and passed it to freshman Aaron Wiggins, who came through the lane to deliver a thunderous dunk with 2:43 left to make it 64-55.
--Field Level Media