Maryland men’s basketball’s upset bid falls short in 78-72 Senior Day loss to No. 11 Illinois

Maryland men’s basketball gave Xfinity Center a show worth watching Sunday.

With 40 seconds left, Diggy Coit had an open 3-pointer squared up down four points to No. 11 Illinois. He nailed it — but head coach Buzz Williams had already called timeout, and the whistle had blown the play dead.

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After the players retook the court, Andre Mills hoisted a heavily-covered triple as the shot clock was about to expire. But it clanged off the front rim, and Illinois secured the rebound.

Enough free throw makes from the Illini ultimately sealed the contest, as Maryland was taken down in the final seconds, 78-72, falling just short of a shocking upset to close out the regular season.

In a season chock-full of disappointments — Maryland still lost 20 games, its most since the 1988-89 season — Sunday’s matinee gave the faithful fans some optimism for the future.

Maryland’s four Senior Day representatives filled the starting lineup Sunday, but it was the redshirt freshman Mills who kickstarted the Terps’ offense.

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The guard typically dazzles with rim-running antics, but his early display against Illinois came in the form of top-notch jump shooting. Mills’ second bucket was a nifty step-back 3-pointer in isolation against Keaton Wagler, who’s a virtual lock for Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Despite being tasked with Illini’s towering forwards — namely David Mirković and Tomislav Ivišić — Collin Metcalf and Solomon Washington scraped together multiple extra offensive possessions. On a sequence five minutes into the action, Maryland dragged down three consecutive offensive boards, ultimately leading to a Washington 3-pointer.

Illinois’ lofty ranking was vindicated in its offensive proficiency and ball movement. Pick-and-rolls that paved the way for paint dishes and layups were a staple of the team’s attack, and Mirković tallied a quick eight points in the opening 10 minutes.

But, unexpectedly, Maryland matched the Illini output. The Terps shot…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/maryland-men-basketball-upset-bid-212951390.html

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Publish date : 2026-03-08 21:29:00

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