Nebraska saw its four-game win streak snapped by the No. 25-ranked Maryland Terrapins on Thursday night inside Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Here are three quick thoughts on the Huskers' loss, which puts their record at 16-9 overall and 6-8 in the Big Ten. Maryland improves to 19-6, 9-5.
Maryland is good, and the Terps were full of responses on Thursday night against a soft defensive effort from Nebraska
You'll likely be seeing Maryland in the NCAA Tournament.
The Terps are a good team, and they showed it Thursday, especially with their shot-making and downhill aggression, especially late when it mattered the most.
Led by Derik Queen's double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds, five Terps scored in double figures. Maryland just had too many scorers and shot-makers on the court for a short-handed Husker crew to handle. But the Huskers didn't do themselves any favors by not consistently staying in front of the Terps' drives into the paint.
Maryland ended the night shooting 58% from the field, 47% from 3 (7-of-15) and 78% from the free-throw line (14-of-18). Nebraska shot 43%, 36% from 3 (9-of-25) and a stellar 94% from the line (16-of-17).
It was going to be tough to beat a team like Maryland when two of the best players on Nebraska's roster weren't operating at 100% and a third wasn't playing
It's got to be hard to win in the Big Ten when your best player and top scorer, Brice Williams, isn't at 100% health. Times that by two when your top 3-point threat, Connor Essegian, was in the same boat. Times that by three when your starting power forward, Berke Büyüktuncel, didn't play due to a sprained ankle from the Ohio State game.
During Fred Hoiberg's pregame radio show, the coach said both Williams and Essegian entered Thursday as game-time decisions because they were feeling sick Thursday night. Anyone who watched them in pregame warmups and during the game could see both guys weren't at full strength.
Williams and Essegian gave it a go, but they weren't themselves. Williams scored 20 points, but went 5-of-13 from the field and 3-of-9 from 3, but was solid again from the free-throw line, going 7-of-7.
Essegian played just nine minutes and didn't hit a shot all night, going 0-of-6 from the field and 0-of-4 from 3.
Juwan Gary gave it all he had with Williams and Essegian battling illness
With Büyüktuncel out and Williams and Essegian not at 100%, someone needed to step up. Enter Juwan Gary, the sixth-year senior who's been playing his butt off lately, trying to will this team to a second-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
Gary ended his night with a team-high 22 points. He scored 15 of that 22 in the first half and went 3-of-4 from 3 and 2-of-2 at the free-throw line. He attacked downhill and played within himself from behind the 3-point line.
But in the second half, Gary scored seven points and wasn't as sharp. He missed some easy ones in the paint — perhaps the presence of the two Maryland bigs had something to do with that. Reese finished with a double-double, too: 13 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks.
ENJOYING INSIDE NEBRASKA?
>> GAIN ALL-ACCESS with an annual or monthly subscription for less than $10/month
>> NEW SUBSCRIBERS get 30 days FREE
>> Sound off on the hot topics on our INSIDER'S BOARD
>> Follow us on Twitter (@NebraskaRivals)
>> Follow us on Instagram (@nebraskarivals)
>> Subscribe for FREE to the Inside Nebraska YouTube channel
