To call Maryland men’s basketball’s Jan. 21 game at Northwestern a “tale of two halves” might be the biggest understatement of the young decade.
For the first 20 minutes of action, the No. 17 Terps looked as atrocious as they have all season. They made just six of their 25 shots, going 5-of-17 on threes and a ghastly 1-of-8 on twos. And the defense that’s kept them in nearly every contest appeared almost absent, watching as the last-place Wildcats shot 15-of-25 and took a 40-26 lead into the locker room.
Then came an avalanche in the other direction. Maryland started the second half on a 10-3 run, then caught fire in the middle of the frame to capture its first lead of the night, then shut the door with a 12-1 run to secure their first road victory of the season — a 77-66 final buoyed by a 51-26 second half.
