CHICAGO — With an inferior foe in last-place Minnesota on the horizon, No. 6-seed Maryland men’s basketball needed to take care of business.
After all, Maryland was a Big Ten Tournament-high 13-point favorite against the Golden Gophers, the fifth-lowest rated power conference team in KenPom.com’s rankings.
Heading into the second half with a seven-point advantage, Maryland swiftly built its lead to 12. Minnesota head coach Ben Johnson called a timeout with 17:38 remaining, but it just delayed the inevitable.
Immediately after the break, graduate guard Don Carey drilled his third three to give Maryland a game-high 43-28 lead.