College basketball’s most chaotic moments have a way of coming when least expected.
Maryland senior point guard Anthony Cowan Jr. wasn’t supposed to be stepping to the foul line for high-pressure free throws with 12.1 seconds left Feb. 11 against Nebraska. The Terps were favored by 17 points and had led by as many as 14. But here they were, leading just 71-70 after a series of lapses on both ends of the floor, needing Cowan to calmly right the ship.
He couldn’t. The front end of his one-and-one clanked off the front of the rim, giving Nebraska a chance to take the lead. Cornhuskers leading scorer Cam Mack drove to the basket, but Terps sophomore center Jalen Smith met him there and blocked him. By the time anyone knew what was happening, Smith had grabbed the rebound and drawn a foul, icing a bizarre game with 0.7 seconds remaining.
