Jahmir Young’s late heroics lift Maryland men’s basketball to 69-67 win at Iowa | TAKEAWAYS

Somehow, some way, Maryland men’s basketball turned certain defeat into stunning victory.

Trailing by as many as 10 points in the first half and for much of the second, the Terps got a driving layup by Jahmir Young with 1.5 seconds left in regulation to upend host Iowa, 69-67, on Wednesday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Young, the fifth-year senior point guard, scored 17 of his game-high 22 points in the second half and added seven rebounds and four assists to help Maryland (12-8, 4-5 Big Ten) end a two-game slide and enjoy its first win since a 76-67 upset of then-No. 10 Illinois on Jan. 14.

Junior power forward Julian Reese, a Randallstown native and St. Frances graduate, contributed 17 points, nine rebounds and five blocks, and fifth-year senior small forward Donta Scott added 14 points, two rebounds and two assists.

Senior guard Tony Perkins paced the Hawkeyes with 20 points, three rebounds and two assists, but Iowa (11-8, 3-5) dropped its second game in a row after Sunday’s 84-70 loss to No. 2 Purdue and suffered its first loss to the Terps in the past five meetings.

Here are three observations from Wednesday night’s win.

Jahmir Young overcame a quiet start and roared loudest in the end

The night began ominously for Young, the Big Ten’s third-leading scorer who had averaged 25.4 points over his last eight starts.

Young missed his first three shots and didn’t get on the scoreboard until he hit a 3-pointer from the corner with 5:40 left in the first half. By halftime, the fifth-year senior point guard had scored only five points on 1 of 6 shooting.

The second half featured a much different Young. He connected on 6 of 9 field goals, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range.

Young saved his best for last. With Maryland trailing 63-61, he nailed a stepback 3-pointer to give the team a 64-63 edge with 1:24 left in the second half. After a pair of free throws by Perkins, Young hit another three with 38 seconds remaining.

Perkins sank two more free throws with 28 seconds left to tie the score at 67. But after a timeout called by coach Kevin Willard with 21 seconds remaining, Young dribbled at the top of the key until he powered his way down the left side of the lane and kissed the ball off the glass and through the hoop for the game-winning bucket.

Young wasn’t a one-man show thanks to his teammates. Reese finished one rebound shy of what would have been his 10th double-double of the season, and Scott produced double-digit points for the fifth time in his past six starts. Scott has converted 52.6% (30 of 57) of his shots over that span.

But the Terps needed Young in the worst way, and he responded.

Maryland got defensive

The Terps, the Big Ten’s leader in defense, lived up to that billing against Iowa.

The Hawkeyes, the conference’s top offense, were held to 19 points below their season average of 86.1. Their output was tied for the second-lowest of the season, trailing only a 90-65 setback at Iowa State on Dec. 7.

Maryland was especially stingy in the second half. Armed with a 34-28 lead at halftime, Iowa missed 18 of 27 attempts and had seven shots blocked. They did not connect on a shot from the field in the final 5:44.

The Hawkeyes had raced to their halftime advantage by bullying the Terps in the post. By the break, they had doubled up Maryland, 28-14, in the paint, matching the Terps’ entire output in the half. Hawkeyes freshman center Owen Freeman utilized his 6-foot-10, 230-pound frame to score all 10 of his first-half points on 5 of 6 shooting in the lane and grab four rebounds.

In the second half, Maryland outscored Iowa, 20-12, in the paint. Freeman scored only four points and grabbed five rebounds before fouling out with 3:07 left in regulation.

While the Terps usually dominate inside, they improved to 3-4 in games in which they have been outscored in the paint. Aside from the 6-9, 230-pound Reese, the team doesn’t have much size, but that hasn’t prevented it from getting the edge on its opponents.

Maryland tapped an underutilized resource – its 3-point shooting

On the surface, the Terps’ 7-for-15 finish from behind the 3-point line doesn’t exactly suggest an eruption is due. But it’s a glimmer of hope from an aspect of the game that has haunted them.

The 46.7% rate from long distance marks the offense’s best performance since Dec. 12, when the unit converted 46.7% (14 of 30) in a 73-67 win against Nicholls State. Young went 3-for-4 from behind the arc, Scott was 2-for-5 and backup senior point guard Jahari Long finished 2-for-2.

On the flipside, freshman small forward Jamie Kaiser Jr. missed all three of his attempts and is scoreless in his past four games while shooting 0-for-8 from 3-point range.

Iowa shot only 21.4% (3 of 14) from long distance. It’s not often that an opponent fares worse than Maryland, but for at least one game, the Terps took advantage and emerged with the victory.

This story might be updated.

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