Northwestern’s tilt against Maryland pitted a relatively unstoppable force against an immovable object. The No. 21 Wildcats (20-9, 11-7 Big Ten) have been built for the road, notching six victories in hostile environments this season. Conversely, the Terrapins’ Xfinity Center has been unassailable in Big Ten play. 10 teams have now entered, 10 teams have fallen.

Coach Chris Collins and company’s attempts at knocking off Maryland (20-9, 11-7 Big Ten) in its stronghold fell short. Behind a three-point shooting barrage and a stellar defensive stand against NU’s backcourt, the Terrapins cruised to a 75-59 victory. 

“(Maryland) deserved to win,” Collins told reporters postgame. “(The team) outplayed us in the second half — we couldn’t keep up with the scoring.”

Senior guard Boo Buie entered Sunday’s matinee on a tear, averaging about 26.3 points over his last four games. Fresh off pouring in a career-high 35 points versus the Fighting Illini, Maryland keyed in on Buie, rolling out a full-court press and matchup zone to make him uncomfortable. And it worked. 

The Terrapins held the Cats’ talisman to a season-low four points on 1-of-9 shooting from the field. It was Buie’s first single-digit scoring performance since Nov. 23 against Auburn and the first time he was held to fewer than 10 field goal attempts since Jan. 25.

Maryland made it difficult for Buie to establish any semblance of scoring rhythm, with a variety of defenders pressing up on him near mid-court on every possession. Forward Julian Reese’s ability to play in drop coverage on high ball screens meant there was always a Terrapin defender ready to cut off Buie’s dribble drives. 

“It’s really hard for you to run a lot of sets against them, because of the way they switch and zone and man,” Collins said of Maryland’s defense. “They have good quickness, good size. They were making (Buie) be a passer.”

Despite the host’s successfully containing Buie, the teams exchanged blow after blow in an exhilarating first 20 minutes. 

In a battle between two rather inefficient three-point shooting teams, the rim must have looked as wide as the ocean. Seemingly every shot from distance dropped, especially for the Terrapins.

Propelled by potential All-Big Ten guard Jahmir Young, Maryland lit the Xfinity Center aflame, hitting 8-of-11 attempts from beyond the arc in the first half. Young, who entered the game shooting 28.4% from beyond the arc at home this season, was 4-of-6 from three-point range by intermission.

Still, the Cats’ first-half offensive response came from Buie’s playmaking and redshirt senior guard Chase Audige’s scoring. 

Though Maryland made Buie into “a passer,” according to Collins, he was still able to find and exploit holes in the Terrapins’ defense to the tune of seven first-half assists. Conversely, Audige was able to shake off his recent shooting woes, recording 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the first frame.

Maryland’s three-point shooting and NU’s backcourt play coalesced into an 80-point first half, with both teams shooting above 59% from the field and the lead changing hands nine times. 

Out of halftime, the Cats’ offense fell stagnant — much like it did three days prior against Illinois. Collins said “the ball stuck a little more in the second half,” allowing Maryland to drive the Cats’ side of the floor. NU’s offensive rut was also exacerbated by the Terrapins’ continued success scoring the ball, especially from deep. 

A 14-7 run over the first six minutes of the half stretched Maryland’s advantage to nine points before a 12-2 spurt midway through the second frame all but put the Cats to bed.

Similar to the first 20 minutes, Maryland once again caught fire from beyond the arc, making 6-of-11 three-point attempts in the second half. When the buzzer sounded, four different Terrapins had hit at least two three-pointers, paving the way for a 14-of-22 mark. 

Despite Maryland’s superb shooting, Collins said he didn’t feel as if the majority of the Terrapins’ three-point success could be attributed to defensive slips from the Cats. 

“Some of the (makes) were breakdowns where we lost guys, but I would venture to say maybe six or seven of those 14 were really good shotmaking,” Collins said. “At the end of the day you’ve gotta make the shot, so give those guys credit.”

Now left licking its wounds following two straight road defeats, NU returns home Wednesday for Senior Night against Penn State.

Though a shot at the Big Ten regular season crown is largely out of the picture, there’s still a lot to play for over the Cats’ final two games — including a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament. 

“We feel good about who we are; we’re a good team,” Collins said. “Everybody’s going to lose a little bit … It didn’t feel so good today getting beat, but we gotta go home and try to make it right on the next one.”

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