Field Level Media
Feb 15, 2020
Anthony Cowan Jr. hit three straight 3-pointers in the final 2:24 to lead No. 9 Maryland to a 67-60 win over Michigan State on Saturday night in East Lansing, Mich.
Cowan had Maryland's final 11 points on his way to 24 for the Terrapins (21-4, 11-3), who squandered a 15-point first half lead but rallied late from a seven-point deficit by scoring the game's final 14 points. The Spartans led Maryland 60-53 with 3:24 left when Aaron Henry hit a jumper, but Jalen Smith hit a three at 3:08 to begin the roaring finish.
Before that run, Michigan State (17-9, 9-6) had outscored Maryland 29-14 in the second half and battered the Terrapins on the boards. Xavier Tillman had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Cassius Winston added 14 points, but the Spartans fell for the fourth time in their last five games.
The Terrapins had a slim, final 35-34 rebounding edge and overcame 4-of-14 second-half 3-point shooting.
Maryland has won eight consecutive games, including four in a row on the road, and remains a game up on surging Penn State in the conference standings. Smith had 17 points and 10 rebounds for his eighth consecutive double-double, and Maryland beat the Spartans for just the second time in the last eight meetings.
Cowan hit back-to-back 3-pointers, the second with 1:20 remaining to put Maryland back in the lead, 62-60. Cowan hadn't scored in the second half until drilling a three at 2:24.
The Spartans went up 54-51, their first lead since 5-3 in the opening two minutes, when Winston nailed a three with 7:28 to play.
Michigan State had closed the first half on a 7-0 run to trail 39-31 at the break, with Maryland going the last 2:57 without a score. Maryland had led 39-24 at 2:57 on a Donta Scott 3-pointer.
The Terrapins had a 22-13 rebounding edge at the half and 13 points from Cowan as Terrapin guards were able to get to the basket and create.
The Spartans and Terrapins tangle again in two weeks on Feb. 29 in College Park.
--Field Level Media