Indiana’s men’s basketball squad stormed into College Park on Wednesday night and delivered a sizzling second-half performance, toppling Maryland 84-66 in a Big Ten showdown at the XFINITY Center. The Hoosiers, now 12-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play, showcased their growing confidence and depth, while the Terrapins, reeling in Buzz Williams’ first season, dropped to 7-8 overall and 0-4 in the Big Ten.
For Indiana, this victory marked a crucial milestone: their first true road win of the season after previous stumbles at Minnesota and Kentucky. The win couldn’t have come at a better time, as the Hoosiers are staring down a daunting stretch with five of their next six games against nationally ranked opponents, including a home tilt Saturday against undefeated No. 11 Nebraska.
“Every night (in the Big Ten), it’s a rock fight. We know that. We have to be ready for that,” Indiana coach Darian DeVries said following the team’s earlier win over Washington. There was no shortage of grit on display in College Park, especially after a sluggish start threatened to derail Indiana’s momentum.
The Hoosiers came out flat, trailing early as Maryland’s Elijah Saunders—who averages just under eight points a game—poured in six quick points. Indiana’s offense sputtered, hitting just two of their first six shots and struggling from beyond the arc. By the first media timeout, the Terrapins led 8-5, and Indiana looked nothing like the team that had raced to a 90-80 win over Washington just three nights before.
But Indiana’s resilience surfaced midway through the first half. Tayton Conerway, who had already exceeded his season average by halftime, spearheaded a 12-point run. The Hoosiers’ aggressive drives paid off at the free-throw line, where they went an astonishing 16-for-16 in the first half. By halftime, Indiana led 36-31, despite shooting just 35% from the field and 2-of-12 from deep. Conerway’s 13 points kept the Hoosiers afloat, while Conor Enright chipped in with timely buckets.
Maryland, meanwhile, was hampered by its own offensive woes. The Terrapins, missing starting center Pharrel Payne due to a lingering leg injury, struggled to find consistency. They hit only one three-pointer in the opening period and finished 1-of-9 from long range in the first half. Elijah Saunders led the way with 10 points at the break, but the absence of an inside presence was palpable.
Coming out of the locker room, both teams looked to shift gears. The Terrapins made a brief push, cutting the deficit to single digits, but Indiana’s offense kicked into high gear. Lamar Wilkerson, relatively quiet in the first half, exploded for 18 of his 24 points after halftime. Wilkerson’s three-point shooting and relentless drives ignited the Hoosiers, and Reed Bailey’s inside play added a steadying force.
By the 11-minute mark, Wilkerson had racked up 16 second-half points, and Indiana’s lead swelled to 61-44. Maryland’s defense simply couldn’t keep up. Darius Adams, one of the Terps’ few bright spots, fouled out with 13 points at the 7:08 mark, further depleting an already thin roster.
Conerway, whose early scoring helped weather Maryland’s opening punch, finished with 19 points—16 of which came before halftime. Enright continued his strong play, ending the night with 16. Bailey contributed 15 points, and the Hoosiers collectively shot 44% from the field in the second half, demonstrating their improved ball movement and shot selection. Indiana also finished with a +5 rebound margin, a testament to the physicality coach DeVries had emphasized during the team’s holiday practices.
“We spent a lot of time on (rebounding) during this break in our practices, increasing our physicality and doing a better job there. Just more of getting that mindset. I thought our guys did a good job of staying with it, pursuing the ball,” DeVries noted after the Washington win, and that focus was evident again against Maryland.
For the Terrapins, the loss extended a frustrating start to the Big Ten campaign. Maryland has now dropped four straight conference games and six of eight overall since Thanksgiving. Injuries have played a role—Payne’s absence is particularly glaring—but so has a lack of cohesion on a roster that saw significant turnover in the offseason. Former Indiana guard Myles Rice, who transferred to Maryland and averages 7.9 points per game, managed some flashes but couldn’t spark a sustained rally. Solomon Washington added 14 points for the Terps, while Saunders finished with a team-high 16.
Free throws were a major storyline. Indiana’s perfect first-half performance at the stripe kept them ahead even as their outside shooting faltered. By game’s end, both teams had cooled off slightly, but the Hoosiers’ early advantage proved decisive. Maryland’s inability to generate consistent offense—especially from deep—made it tough to mount any serious comeback.
Indiana’s victory also extended their lead in the all-time series to 15-10. The Hoosiers avenged last season’s heartbreaking 79-78 loss in Bloomington, a defeat that contributed to the departure of former coach Mike Woodson. Wednesday’s win, by contrast, underscored the growing confidence in DeVries’ squad as they look to establish themselves among the Big Ten’s contenders.
Looking ahead, Indiana faces a stiff challenge as they host Nebraska, one of the conference’s surprise teams, on Saturday. With momentum building and key players finding their rhythm, the Hoosiers are eager to prove they can handle the rigors of Big Ten play—home and away.
For Maryland, the search for answers continues. Buzz Williams’ debut season has been marred by injuries and inconsistency, and the Terrapins will need to regroup quickly if they hope to salvage their conference campaign.
On a night when Indiana needed a statement win on the road, the Hoosiers delivered—leaving College Park with renewed belief and a crucial Big Ten victory tucked safely under their belts.