No. 19 Maryland tops Ohio State 75-61 for 7th straight win
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Maryland's depth and shooting touch were too much for Ohio State.
Anthony Cowan Jr. scored 20 points, and the 19th-ranked Terrapins won their seventh straight game, 75-61 over the skidding Buckeyes on Friday night.
Bruno Fernando added 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting and had 15 rebounds for Maryland (16-3, 7-1 Big Ten), which shot 58.1 percent from the field. Aaron Wiggins and Darryl Morsell each scored 11, and Jalen Smith had 10. The Terrapins went 11 of 17 (64.7 percent) from 3-point range.
"We had great depth tonight," Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said. "We really shared the ball."
C.J. Jackson scored 15 points for the Buckeyes (12-5, 2-4), who lost their fourth straight. Duane Washington Jr. scored 14 and Kaleb Wesson had 11.
Fernando continued his strong play after being named the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week and Big Ten Player of the Week. He averaged 17.5 points and 12 rebounds in victories over Minnesota and then-No. 22 Indiana. The 6-foot-10 sophomore from Angola has 10 double-doubles this season.
Ohio State kept it close through most of the first half before Maryland went on an 8-0 run, including a three-point play by Fernando, to move ahead 38-30.
"I didn't feel like we could ever get a rebound in the first half," Turgeon said. "The second half I thought we got all of them."
The Buckeyes got within one early in the second half before Maryland responded with a 13-2 burst, including five points from Fernando. Ohio State got no closer than six points the rest of the way.
The Buckeyes have allowed opponents to shoot better than 50 percent in four of the last seven halves they have played.
"We missed some open shots and took some quick ones, too," Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann said. "They were also really collapsed, trapping Kaleb on every collapse.
"We have a tough stretch here. We have to find a way to dig our way out, accept responsibility and play better."
BIG PICTURE
Maryland: The Terrapins have been one of the surprise teams of the Big Ten thus far, but their schedule won't get any easier, with a road matchup looming at No. 6 Michigan State and two games against second-ranked Michigan.
Ohio State: Foul trouble and the Terps' hot shooting doomed any chance of an end to the Buckeyes' skid.
INJURY
Maryland freshman Eric Ayala landed on his hip early in the second half and did not return.
HELPING HAND
Starting with the Maryland game and continuing through the end of the partial federal government shutdown, Ohio State will provide all federal employees with two free tickets to any Buckeyes athletic event.
QUOTABLE
"Aaron Wiggins is a starter who plays sixth man on our team." — Turgeon
UP NEXT
Maryland visits No. 6 Michigan State on Monday night.
Ohio State hosts Purdue on Wednesday.
