WEST LAFAYETTE, Md. _ Even before Maryland started practice Tuesday in College Park, Md., in preparation for Wednesday night's game at Mackey Arena, the notion of the struggling Terps upsetting the streaking Boilermakers on their home court seemed far-fetched.
The heel injury suffered by senior center Michal Cekovsky during that practice made the odds appear insurmountable.
After giving up the first nine points of the game to the nation's No. 3 team and falling behind by as many as 15 in the first half, Mark Turgeon's undersized and undermanned team kept things more competitive than expected in a 75-67 loss.
Trailing 35-24 at halftime, the Terps cut their deficit to six three times _ with five straight points by freshman center Bruno Fernando to start the second half, to 40-34 on a 3-point shot by sophomore guard Anthony Cowan Jr., and to 55-49 on a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Kevin Huerter.
When Huerter hit a second straight 3-pointer to cut the deficit to three points with a little over nine minutes left in the game, the noisy crowd got nervous and Purdue coach Matt Painter called timeout.
Maryland couldn't get any closer.
After the timeout, Purdue went on a 7-0 run as Huerter missed two straight 3-pointers and Boilermakers center Isaac Haas sandwiched a pair of free throws and a dunk around a 3-pointer by senior guard P.J. Thompson.
The defeat was the fifth straight Big Ten on the road and the fifth in six games overall for Maryland (15-9, 4-7), which has now lost more league games than in any of its previous three seasons since leaving the Atlantic Coast Conference. The victory was the 18th straight for Purdue (22-2, 11-0).
Fernando led Maryland with 20 points and 10 rebounds, his second double-double, to lead Maryland.
Haas led the Boilermakers with 20 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore guard Carsen Edwards finished with 17 points.
After getting off to impressive starts to their college careers, both Fernando and fellow freshman Darryl Morsell (Mount Saint Joseph) struggled with consistency when Big Ten play began. Fernando had a tough time staying healthy; Morsell couldn't hit shots.
Except for the foul trouble _ he picked up his fourth with a little under 12 minutes left in the game _ Fernando had one of his better performances since earning Big Ten Freshman of the Week in early January. He hit eight for 12 from the field, including two pull-up midrange jumpers.
Morsell, who has worked tirelessly trying to improve his shooting, had 13 points and nine rebounds on 6-for-10 from the field, and hit three straight baskets early in the second half. He even showed his courage by taking a charge from the 7-foot 290-pound Haas.
More than a day after he injured his left heel in practice, Maryland announced that Cekovsky did not make the trip to Purdue.
No further details were provided by senior associate athletic director-media relations Zack Bolno, who told reporters about an hour before tipoff that Turgeon would give more information after the game.
Bolno confirmed that it was the same foot that Cekovsky injured late last season, when he broke his ankle and missed the last seven games, with the Terps losing five.
This year's injury, if serious, could end Cekovsky's career at Maryland and could have an even greater impact on a team that was already down two frontcourt players with season-ending injuries.
The loss of Cekovsky, added to the void left by power forwards Justin Jackson (torn labrum shoulder) and Ivan Bender (torn meniscus), leaves the Terps with only three healthy frontcourt players.
Fernando, who has his own foot problems this season after spraining his right foot twice (most recently against Indiana) and his left foot during preseason, finally looked like he fully healthy with a strong performance.
The team's backup center now is graduate transfer Sean Obi, who was averaging less than six minutes a game. Redshirt freshman Joshua Tomaic will likely see an increased role depending on the matchups.
