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Melo Trimble, Maryland shake off pesky Northwestern in overtime, 62-56 Melo Trimble, Maryland shake off pesky Northwestern in overtime, 62-56
(35 minutes later)
Shortly after he came away with a steal with 28 seconds remaining in regulation against Northwestern on Tuesday night, Melo Trimble walked the ball up and waited for another chance to add to his legend. The game was tied at 48, the product of an ugly slugfest that had unfolded in the two hours prior, and Trimble seemed poised to end it once and for all. Except Maryland Coach Mark Turgeon called timeout to set up a play. As the final seconds in regulation ticked down Tuesday night, Maryland guard Melo Trimble had already decided how he was going to add to his legend. The Terrapins and Northwestern were tied at 48, exchanging blows in an ugly slugfest that had unfolded in the two hours prior. Now Trimble had a chance to end it with a shot quickly becoming his staple — a fadeaway three-pointer. It clanked off the rim as the buzzer sounded.
Trimble smiled and rolled the ball off his hair, as if he would’ve preferred to just let this play out. A few moments later, he missed the game-winning three-point attempt off the front of the rim. On a night when nothing came easy, Maryland would have to find a way in overtime. As Trimble walked back to the huddle, he could see Maryland Coach Mark Turgeon was irate. Turgeon greeted him with a simple directive: Don’t settle. “He just told me to go to the basket next time. He said a lot of other things,” Trimble said with a smile later, because at that point he could laugh off Maryland’s 62-56 overtime win.
And behind Trimble, the Terrapins did. The sophomore point guard made a number of dazzling plays in the extra period to lead the seventh-ranked Terrapins to a 62-56 win. Trimble finished with 18 points and six assists on a night when the Terrapins turned in anything but an offensive masterpiece. Trimble did not settle in the extra period, which began with a hard drive that resulted in a three-point play for the sophomore guard. He finished with 18 points on 18 shots, hardly his best performance, but his aggressiveness in the final moments helped create a pair of assists in the lane to spark seventh-ranked Maryland (17-2, 6-1 Big Ten) past the pesky Wildcats (15-5, 3-4).
Just four days after Maryland showed just how prolific of an offensive team it could be in a 100-65 dismantling of Ohio State, it struggled to find its rhythm until the late stages of Tuesday night’s thriller. Freshman center Diamond Stone had 11 points and Robert Carter Jr. added 10 for Maryland (17-2, 6-1), which shot 43 percent from the field and hit just four of 17 from three-point range. “Northwestern was a tougher team most of the night. They were ready to play,” Turgeon said. “Some nights things just don’t go well and you have to figure out ways to win.”
It was also a stark contrast from the meeting between these two schools two weeks ago, when Maryland put together one of its most complete performances of the season in a 72-59 rout in Evanston, Ill. Maryland has never lost a Big Ten game at the Xfinity Center — it had won its previous 12 since officially beginning conference play last season — but that streak was in jeopardy all evening. This was anything but an offensive masterpiece. Only three days after Maryland showed just how prolific of an offensive team it could be in a 100-65 dismantling of Ohio State, Maryland struggled to find its rhythm until the late stages against Northwestern.
Maryland led by as many as eight in the second half, but Northwestern (15-5, 3-4) simply never went away, using its crafty offensive play and swarming matchup zone to position itself for a breakthrough road victory. Freshman center Diamond Stone had 11 points and Robert Carter Jr. added 10 for Maryland, which shot 43.8 percent from the field and hit just 4 of 17 from three-point range.
Somehow, Maryland emerged with two-point halftime lead after yet another sloppy start. Everyone looked frustrated early, including Turgeon, who screamed at his players during the first media timeout after watching the Wildcats outhustle the Terrapins early. Maryland had nine first-half turnovers and struggled to box out Northwestern’s versatile lineup, which had seven offensive rebounds in the first 20 minutes (to Maryland’s one). Northwestern built a 24-17 lead thanks in large part to 10 second chance points. It was also a stark contrast from the meeting between these two schools two weeks ago, when Maryland put together one of its most complete performances in a 72-59 rout in Evanston, Ill.
Maryland didn’t secure its first lead until the 1:47 mark of the first half, when Trimble buried a three-pointer. While the Terrapins eventually solved Northwestern’s scheme with more disciplined shot selection — it had taken 31 three-pointers in the first meeting between the teams — it also relied on its defense to make a late charge right before halftime. Shortly after Trimble’s three, Jake Layman followed with a steal in the open floor and hit a pair of free throws after being fouled to extend the lead to four. Maryland has never lost a Big Ten game at Xfinity Center — it had won its previous 12 since officially beginning conference play last season — but that streak was in jeopardy all evening. Maryland was out-hustled from the onset. It not only had 16 turnovers but also was outrebounded 41-32, which included 16 offensive boards for the Wildcats.
Trimble continued to push the pace to open the second half, scooping in a left-handed layup to give Maryland a 39-31 lead with 14 minutes and 24 seconds remaining. But while Northwestern scored just five points in the first eight minutes of the second half, Maryland was unable to pull away. Senior shooting guard Rasheed Sulaimon was held scoreless for much of the night, while Stone had to sit for long stretches after picking up his second foul midway through the first half. Turgeon didn’t like the vibe of his team even before the game started, and within the first few possessions, he told his assistants: “We’re in for a tough one.”
After Northwestern tied the game at 41 on Derek Pardon’s free throw with 9:04 remaining, Turgeon re-inserted Stone to crack the Wildcats’ pesky zone for good. The breakthrough looked as if it came with just under five minutes remaining and the Terps trailing, 47-43. Trimble weaved his way into the lane for a reverse layup, then started a break on the ensuing possession that led to a go-ahead three-pointer from Layman. [Steinberg: What’s wrong with Terps football recruits changing their minds?]
That led tone of the wild sequences of the night. With Turgeon sticking with a small lineup on the floor — Layman moved to the stretch-four position while Carter moved to center — Northwestern continued to mob the boards. After Layman’s go-ahead three-pointer, the Wildcats had three consecutive offensive rebounds but missed every putback attempt, the last of which caused a pileup near the basket. Maryland didn’t secure its first lead until less than two minutes were left in the first half, when Trimble buried a three-pointer. While the Terrapins eventually solved Northwestern’s matchup zone defense with more disciplined shot selection, they also relied on their defense to make a late charge right before halftime. Shortly after Trimble’s three, Jake Layman followed with a steal in the open floor and hit a pair of free throws after being fouled to extend the lead to four.
Carter emerged with jump ball to give Maryland another possession, but Sulaimon missed a pair of free throws moments later after being fouled in the lane. Northwestern guard Bryant McIntosh tied the game at 48 on the ensuing possession after hitting one of two free throws following a foul. Trimble continued to push the pace to open the second half, scooping in a left-handed layup to give Maryland a 39-31 lead with 14:34 remaining. But while Northwestern scored just five points in the first eight minutes of the second half, Maryland was unable to pull away. Senior shooting guard Rasheed Sulaimon was held scoreless for much of the night, while Stone had to sit for long stretches after picking up his second foul midway through the first half.
Trimble opened the overtime period with a three-point play after cutting into the lane and finishing through a foul. After Northwestern took a 54-53 lead on a layup from Joey Van Zegeren with 2:30 remaining, Trimble answered with a no-look pass to set up a go-ahead layup from Carter. “We have to give them credit with the zone defense. It’s something that is tough because we never know if they’re matching up or are in the zone,” Carter said.
Trimble did it again on the ensuing possession, setting up a Stone three-point play off a pick and roll situation to make it 58-55 with just over one minute remaining. After Northwestern drew even at 41 on Dererk Pardon’s free throw with 9:04 remaining, Turgeon reinserted Stone to crack the Wildcats’ pesky zone for good. The breakthrough looked as if it came with just under five minutes remaining and the Terps trailing 47-43. Trimble weaved his way into the lane for a reverse layup, then started a break on the ensuing possession that led to a go-ahead three-pointer from Layman.
That led to one of the wildest sequences of the night. With Turgeon sticking with a small lineup on the floor — Layman moved to the stretch-four position while Carter moved to center — Northwestern continued to mob the boards. After Layman’s go-ahead three-pointer, the Wildcats had three consecutive offensive rebounds but missed every putback attempt, the last of which caused a pileup near the basket.
It all led to the final possession of regulation, which began with Trimble picking off a steal near Northwestern’s bench with 28 seconds remaining. He was surprised Turgeon took a timeout with 17 seconds remaining to call a play.
“I knew I was going to [take a three-pointer] before he did it, I just wish he didn’t,” Trimble said of the time out.
Trimble opened the overtime period with a three-point play after cutting into the lane and finishing through a foul. After Northwestern took a 54-53 lead on a layup from Joey van Zegeren with 2:39 remaining, Trimble answered with a no-look pass to set up a go-ahead layup from Carter. Trimble did it again on the ensuing possession, setting up a Stone three-point play off a pick-and-roll situation to make it 58-55 with just over a minute remaining.
“I missed the shot, but we went to overtime and we won,” Trimble said, “so it made up for it.’