WASHINGTON _ Maryland entered nearly a week of preparation for this year's Big Ten tournament unsure of its quarterfinal-round opponent Friday at Verizon Center, with coach Mark Turgeon trying to use the time "to work on ourselves."
As evidenced by their 72-64 loss to Northwestern, the No. 25 Terps still have plenty to work on as they get ready for the NCAA Tournament.
A night after scoring 31 straight points in the first half against Rutgers, the Wildcats went on a 20-2 run to turn a 10-point Maryland lead into an eight-point lead of their own. During that stretch, the Terps self-destructed with a series of turnovers, including successive shot clock violations.
The loss, the sixth in the past 10 games for the Terps (24-8), broke a two-game winning streak that ended the regular season and leaves them awaiting Sunday's NCAA Tournament selection.
The victory put Northwestern (23-10) into the Big Ten semifinals for the first time in the event's 20-year history.
The sixth-seeded Wildcats will play second-seeded Wisconsin, which earlier beat 10th-seeded Indiana, 70-60.
Junior forward Scottie Lindsey, who sat out Maryland's 10-point win over Northwestern last month in Evanston, Ill., while recovering from mononucleosis, joined Vic Law in leading the Wildcats with 17 points apiece. Junior guard Melo Trimble led the Terps with 20 points. Freshman guard Kevin Huerter scored 19.
The loss also left the loud pro-Maryland crowd mostly quiet at the end. It was a much different scene than at the beginning of the season, when the Terps staged a late comeback at Verizon Center to beat Georgetown by a point when Huerter saved the victory with a potential game-winning block.
After the big run by the Wildcats helped turn a 44-34 deficit into a 54-46 lead, the Terps briefly woke up the crowd when they cut the deficit back to three, 56-53, on a drive by Trimble with 5:25 left. But Law answered with a jumper and later a dunk as the Wildcats stretched the lead to double digits.
Leading 36-34 at halftime, the Terps started the second half on an 8-0 run, punctuated by some heads-up plays from Huerter (a tip-in on the second of two missed free throws by Damonte Dodd, then a block to force a travel) and a corner 3-pointer by Cowan.
After a drive by Trimble made it 44-34 _ he was fouled but missed the subsequent free throw _ the Wildcats finally hit their first shot of the second half, a semi-desperation 3-pointer by junior guard Bryant McIntosh. Two straight shot clock violations by the Terps helped Northwestern's comeback.
After the first violation, reserve forward Gavin Skelly scored inside. After the second, the Wildcats got a couple of chances and McIntosh scored on a drive to cut the deficit to 3. Huerter stopped the run by the Wildcats with a leaning drive, but Lindsey answered with a 3-pointer.
Following another turnover by the Terps, freshman guard Isiah Brown's long jumper tied the game at 46. With Northwestern coming out of the under-12-minute timeout in a zone, Trimble threw the ball into the third row and Law's drive gave the Wildcats a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
The first half followed the pattern of the first three quarterfinals _ shot-making by both teams, and dominant runs by each.
With Maryland leading 14-8, Northwestern went on a 20-4 run that was fueled by the Wildcats making eight straight shots, including three straight by Lindsey. It was capped by a 3-pointer by Law that was initially ruled a long 2.
After Northwestern finally missed a couple of shots, a tough left-handed drive in traffic by Huerter started the Terps on their own 7-0 run to cut the deficit back to three. A pair of free throws by Law interrupted the run _ briefly.
Two free throws helped Maryland inch closer and the Terps finally regained the lead when Huerter tipped a ball away to Trimble, who scored on a drive for a 34-32 lead with a little over a minute left in the half.
After two free throws by McIntosh, the teams traded turnovers and the Terps took a 36-34 lead into halftime when Huerter rebounded a long 3-point miss from Trimble, who eventually found senior forward L.G. Gill for a short turnaround jumper as the halftime horn sounded.
The Terps finished the half shooting 14 for 27 from the field, including 5 for 8 for Huerter (12 points). Maryland shot only 3 for 9 on 3-pointers, two of them from NBA range by the 6-7 freshman, who also added three assists and two steals.
Trimble, who scored a career-high 32 points in Maryland's win over Northwestern last month, finished the half with nine points on 3-for-7 shooting. He also had four rebounds, two assists, and three of Maryland's six turnovers.
The Wildcats finished the half shooting 12 for 23 from the field, including 5 for 10 on 3-pointers. Except for that stretch when they hit eight straight, they were a combined 4 for 15. McIntosh led Northwestern with nine points, while Law had eight.
