Jackson-Davis, Hood-Schifino lead Indiana past Maryland
CHICAGO (AP) — Malik Reneau knows as well as anyone just how hard it is to defend Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis, so he had an idea what Maryland was going through.
His teammate is just about impossible to stop in practice. And the Hoosiers' star is no easier to guard in games.
Jackson-Davis scored 24 points, Jalen Hood-Schifino added 19 points, and No. 19 Indiana beat Maryland 70-60 in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday night.
The third-seeded Hoosiers (22-10) went on a 20-2 run in the second half to wipe out a seven-point deficit and got payback for a loss at Maryland (21-12) on Jan. 31. They will face No. 10 seed Penn State in the semifinals on Saturday. The Nittany Lions hung on to beat Northwestern 67-65 in overtime when Chase Audige’s 3 in the final second rolled off the rim.
Jackson-Davis had nine rebounds, seven assists and four blocks.
“It’s tough,” Reneau said. “Just knowing that he’s an All-American. He got a variety of moves, and he just goes hard every time he plays.”
Hood-Schifino added six rebounds and three blocks. Reneau grabbed 11 rebounds, and Indiana won its second in a row after losing three of five.
“The fight from this team,” Jackson-Davis said. “Everyone’s on the same page, everyone’s engaging. We came here for one reason, that’s to win a championship, and I think everybody understands that. We’re going to play as hard as we can to get that done.”
Hakim Hart led Maryland with 16 points. Jahmir Young made just 3 of 15 shots and finished with 12 points as the Terps lost for the third time in four games.
Maryland, which beat Minnesota a night earlier, fell to 4-8 all-time in the Big Ten Tournament. The Terps have never won more than one game since joining the conference in the 2014-15 season.
But coach Kevin Willard focused more on what his team has accomplished in his first season than the recent losses.
“I love my team,” he said. “I don’t know what I have to refocus. We’ve won 21 games. Like you can go refocus. Maybe you should. Because I’m proud of this team, and this team’s pretty damn good.”
THE BIG RUN
Indiana, which rallied from 12 down to beat Michigan in overtime on Sunday, trailed 41-34 early in the second half when Miller Kopp hit a 3 to start the decisive run.
Hood-Schifino tied it at 43 with a layup after Jackson-Davis blocked Scott and put Indiana on top about a minute later with a free throw. Jackson-Davis converted a three-point play off a miss by Hood-Schifino, then hit a layup and two free throws.
Tamar Bates brought the crowd to its feet when he buried a 3 to make it 54-43 with 9:36 left, and the Hoosiers were never really threatened after that. It was a six-point game with just over two minutes remaining when Hood-Schifino nailed a 3 that drew another deafening roar and sealed the win for Indiana.
TERPS LEAD EARLY
Maryland led 34-32 at halftime behind eight points by Hart and a big advantage from beyond the arc. The Terps nailed 6 3-pointers while the Hoosiers made just one.
Maryland went on an 11-0 run midway through the half that Young finished with a 3 to extend the lead to 24-17. But Indiana closed on a stronger note.
A layup by Jackson-Davis with just under a minute remaining pulled Indiana within two and brought the large contingent of Hoosiers fans to their feet.
TIP-INS
Maryland: The Terps made 9 of 24 3-pointers but shot just 32.3% overall. They were also outscored 36-18 in the paint.
Indiana: The Hoosiers did what they wanted down the stretch, taking control with that big run and remaining in command the rest of the way.
UP NEXT
Maryland: The Terrapins wait for the NCAA Tournament announcement on Sunday.
Indiana: The Hoosiers will try to get back at Penn State for an 85-66 loss in Happy Valley on Jan. 11.
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