It was not a happy New Year’s Day for Maryland when Michigan dealt the Terrapins an 81-46 defeat, their most lopsided loss since joining the Big Ten in 2014.
The only good news for the Terps was they would have to wait just 18 days for a chance to exact revenge. That comes Thursday when Michigan (10-7, 4-2 Big Ten) travels to College Park for the rematch.
Since thumping the Terps, the Wolverines have won two more league games at home and lost two on the road. Maryland (11-6, 2-4) has been equally site dependent in the conference, going 2-0 at home and 0-4 on the road.
The Terps are coming off an 81-67 loss Sunday at Iowa, where they surrendered 60 percent accuracy from the floor, the best an opponent has shot against Maryland this season.
Of Iowa’s 33 field goals, 23 came from the paint. The Hawkeyes also outscored the Terps on fastbreak points 15-0.
“Our defensive intensity on the road is really lacking,” Maryland coach Kevin Willard said.
Jahmir Young led the Terps with 20 points. Donta Scott added 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Michigan’s last outing was an 85-78 win Sunday over Northwestern, led by Kobe Bufkin (20 points), who made 9 of 11 shots.
The Wolverines thrived with a reconfigured frontcourt, pairing 7-foot-1 center Hunter Dickinson (10 points, 15 rebounds) with his backup, 6-10 Tarris Reid Jr. (six points, eight rebounds).
With the two on the floor together for a 7:34 span down the stretch, Michigan turned a one-point deficit into a 10-point lead. For the game, the Wolverines won the battle of the boards 41-29.
“There are going to be times when we have to go to that lineup to be a difference-maker for us on the defensive end as well as rebounding,” Michigan coach Juwan Howard said.
In the first meeting with Maryland, Michigan raced to a 17-0 lead before the game was five minutes old and the Terps never challenged as Dickinson dominated with 32 points on 13-of-16 shooting.
–Field Level Media