NEW YORK — On Saturday at Madison Square Garden, Maryland basketball faced an Illinois team that entered just 5-14 this season and 1-7 in Big Ten play. The Illini have some talent, with three promising underclassmen leading the team in scoring, but the record clearly shows they’re not yet ready to jump into the Big Ten picture.
In a demanding Big Ten, this is the kind of game the Terps can’t lose. They did just that, letting an 11-point first-half lead turn into an 11-point loss.
For the first 15 minutes Saturday, No. 13 Maryland was in clear control.