Maryland forward Donta Scott scored a career-high 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting to lead the Terrapins to an 81-65 upset win over No. 17 Illinois.
In a season filled with turmoil and disappointment, Maryland earned a bright spot picking up the win Friday. Maryland (10-9, 2-6 in Big Ten Conference) snapped a two-game losing streak.
Maryland pulled away in the second half, rallying from a 55-51 deficit with a 15-3 run that put the Terps ahead for good with just over five minutes remaining. The Terrapins put the finishing touches on the win, closing the game on an 11-0 run.
Illinois (13-5, 6-2) made 11 three-pointers in the game. However, they missed 24, leading Maryland to take advantage.
Illinois was without its leading star Kofi Cockburn. The 7-foot stud sat out Friday’s game after suffering a concussion Monday against Purdue.
Andre Curbelo, the Illini’s dynamic guard, was limited to 14 minutes in his second game back since Nov. 23 from a concussion of his own.
Nevertheless, it was a big time win for Maryland interim coach Danny Manning and the team, who has dealt with their coach resigning eight games in. Not to mention, an assistant coach, Bruce Shingler being suspended 30 days for soliciting prostitution.
The college basketball world reacted to Maryland’s upset of Illinois:
For Illinois, health is their biggest key. The Illini started the season 6-0 in the Big Ten. However, losing Cockburn mid-game against Purdue and not having him against Maryland played a large role in Illinois losing their last two games.
As for Maryland, Manning gets his signature win of the season. Despite all going on around the program, the players have played hard throughout the season. The question is can the team build off Friday’s upset?
