WASHINGTON, D.C. — It was a neutral court in name only.
With College Park just a shade over nine miles to the north, Verizon Center was filled with Maryland fans, clad in red Under Armour and hungry for a deep Big Ten Tournament run in their own backyard. As they streamed out by the dozens with time still left on the clock, it was apparent they went home angry and unsatisfied.
Northwestern, buoyed by a small but loud fan contingent across from the Wildcats’ bench, absorbed various punches from the No. 25 Terps — including a partially self-inflicted 8:36 scoring drought from the end of the first half to the start of the second — en route to a telling 72-64 victory in Friday night’s Big Ten quarterfinals.