Wisconsin Dominates Maryland in Big Ten Tournament, Ending Terrapins’ Season

MINNEAPOLIS — Maryland‘s hopes in the Big Ten Tournament were swiftly crushed by a dominant display from Wisconsin, marking the end of the Terrapins’ season. Despite a valiant effort from Jahmir Young, who led the team with 18 points, Maryland fell convincingly to the Badgers with a final score of 87-56.

As the game slipped away from Maryland, Jahmir Young, a fifth-year guard from Upper Marlboro, acknowledged the end of his collegiate career. After embracing his teammates and coaches, Young sat on the bench with tears, realizing it was his final game in a Maryland uniform.

Wisconsin came out strong, sinking their first six three-pointers and creating an insurmountable lead early on. The Badgers continued their hot shooting throughout, finishing with 16 made threes on 25 attempts, a stark contrast to their previous performance against Purdue.

Maryland struggled to respond, only making six triples themselves and shooting a collective 14-for-41 from the field outside of Young’s contributions. Wisconsin held a commanding lead throughout the game, building an 18-point advantage within the first 12 minutes and extending it to 47-26 by halftime.

DeShawn Harris-Smith provided a spark for Maryland in the second half with 16 points, but it wasn’t enough to chip away at Wisconsin’s lead. Young carried much of the offensive load for Maryland, scoring 15 points in the first half, but received limited support from his teammates.

Defensively, Maryland struggled to contain Wisconsin’s sharpshooters, with John Blackwell especially lethal from beyond the arc. The Badgers also dominated the offensive boards, further extending their lead throughout the game.

Despite boasting a strong second-half point differential in the Big Ten, Maryland failed to mount a comeback against Wisconsin, allowing the Badgers to go on an 18-0 run at the start of the period. Wisconsin’s lead only widened, reaching 65-29 with 15:15 left and ultimately securing the victory.

As Maryland’s season comes to an end, Jahmir Young’s collegiate career also concludes, leaving a lasting impact on the program. With Young and Donta Scott no longer part of the team and potential changes on the horizon, Maryland’s future remains uncertain under head coach Kevin Willard.

With a disappointing season behind them, Maryland will look to regroup and potentially make roster changes to set the stage for a better performance next year. As Willard plans to retool the team for the upcoming season, the legacy of Jahmir Young and the lessons learned from this challenging year will shape Maryland’s future in collegiate basketball.