PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Interstat) — Rutgers used a dominant second half to defeat Maryland 68-57 in a Big Ten men’s basketball game Sunday at Louis Brown Center. The teams were tied 27-27 at halftime, but the Scarlet Knights outscored the Terrapins 41-30 after the break. The victory improved Rutgers to 10-15 overall, while Maryland fell to 9-15. An announced crowd of 8,000 watched the home team overcome a pregame projection that favored the Terrapins. The teams will meet again in the regular-season finale on March 1 in College Park.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Interstat) — A second-half offensive explosion, fueled by a career performance from Tariq Francis and a decisive 14-0 run, propelled the Rutgers Scarlet Knights to a 68-57 victory over the Maryland Terrapins in a Big Ten Conference men’s basketball game Sunday at a sold-out Louis Brown Athletic Center. In a contest defined by defensive struggle for 20 minutes, the Scarlet Knights (10-15, 3-10 Big Ten) erupted for 41 points after halftime, shooting 50% from the field in the period to pull away from a Terrapins squad that could not sustain its first-half effort. The win snapped a three-game losing skid for Rutgers and evened the season series ahead of a March 1 rematch in College Park. The first half was a grind, with both teams locked at 27-27 at the intermission. Maryland (9-15, 3-9), coming off consecutive wins over Minnesota and Iowa, found success inside early, scoring 18 of its 27 first-half points in the paint, largely through the relentless work of forward Solomon Washington. The New Orleans native was a force on the glass, securing nine of his game-high 14 rebounds before halftime to keep the Terrapins afloat despite frigid perimeter shooting. Rutgers, conversely, labored through a disjointed offensive start. The Scarlet Knights missed 10 of their first 13 attempts from three-point range and turned the ball over nine times in the opening period, allowing Maryland to hang tight despite its own scoring woes. The game’s physical tone was set early, with the teams combining for 17 personal fouls in the first half. The complexion of the game changed dramatically after the break. Rutgers emerged from the locker room with renewed purpose, opening the second half on a 7-0 spurt capped by a Harun Zrno three-pointer, assisted by Francis. Maryland’ Darius Adams, the Manchester, New Jersey, native playing in his home state, answered with a driving layup to momentarily stem the tide, but the Scarlet Knights were just getting started. The most critical sequence began with Rutgers leading 34-31. Over the next four minutes, the Scarlet Knights unleashed the game-deciding 14-0 run. It was a comprehensive burst, featuring transition offense, defensive stops, and clutch shooting. Zrno, the sophomore from Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina, hit two more three-pointers during the surge, while Francis began to impose his will. The Pittsburgh native, who finished with a game-high 21 points, added a pull-up jumper and facilitated the offense with four assists. When Kaden Powers converted a steal into a driving layup, the Rutgers lead ballooned to 48-31 with 11:49 remaining, sending the capacity crowd of 8,000 into a frenzy. Maryland, which had shown resilience in recent weeks, had no counterpunch. The Terrapins went scoreless for over five minutes during the Rutgers onslaught, missing six consecutive field goal attempts and committing two turnovers. Their offensive execution, which had been methodical in the first half, devolved into rushed shots against a tightening Rutgers defense anchored by Emmanuel Ogbole’s interior presence. The 6-foot-10 center from Nigeria contributed nine rebounds and two blocks, altering countless other attempts. The Terrapins made a belated attempt to rally. Trailing 55-40, they pieced together a 9-0 run, with Andre Mills converting a three-point play and David Coit hitting a step-back jumper to cut the deficit to 55-49 with 5:12 left. But Francis, displaying the poise that defined his afternoon, immediately drew a foul on Mills and calmly sank two free throws to halt the Maryland momentum. On the ensuing possession, after a Maryland miss, Francis drilled a dagger three-pointer from the wing off an assist from Jamichael Davis, pushing the lead back to 60-49 with 3:35 left and effectively sealing the outcome. Maryland was led by Washington’s double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds in 37 minutes. Adams added 13 points and six rebounds, while Mills finished with nine points and seven boards. The Terrapins, however, were ultimately undone by their shooting, connecting on just 36% of their field goal attempts for the game and a paltry 19% from beyond the arc. They also managed only seven fast-break points compared to Rutgers’ 14. For Rutgers, the victory was a balanced effort beyond Francis’ scoring. Zrno finished with 13 points, all in the second half, and five rebounds. Dylan Grant of Mississauga, Canada, provided nine points and six rebounds, while Davis added eight points, five rebounds, and critical defensive energy off the bench. The Scarlet Knights won despite being outscored 26-20 in the paint, leveraging their 14 fast-break points and capitalizing on Maryland’s cold shooting. The loss drops Maryland below .500 in conference play as they prepare for a road test at Northwestern on Wednesday. Rutgers, meanwhile, will look to build on this momentum when they travel to face Penn State, also on Wednesday. According to National Statistical’s ELO system, the result was an upset, as Maryland entered with a 59.4% probability to win. Rutgers covered the pregame spread of -3.5, and the total score of 125 fell well under the over/under line of 145, a testament to the defensive struggle that preceded the Scarlet Knights’ second-half surge.

Struggling Big Ten Foes Meet as Maryland Visits Rutgers PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking to salvage difficult seasons will meet when the Maryland Terrapins visit the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a Big Ten Conference men’s basketball game Sunday. The matchup at Louis Brown Athletic Center features teams with nearly identical disappointing records. Maryland arrives at 9-14 overall, while Rutgers sits at 9-15. Both squads have shown brief flashes of competitiveness but have largely been overwhelmed in conference play. The Terrapins enter with a sliver of momentum, having won two of their last three games, including a 77-70 home victory over Iowa on Wednesday. In that game, guard Andre Mills led the way with 24 points. Mills has been a bright spot, averaging 16.4 points over his last five contests and scoring 18 in a Jan. 31 loss to powerhouse Purdue. Rutgers, conversely, carries a six-game losing streak into Sunday’s contest. Their last outing was a 68-80 home loss to Nebraska on Feb. 7. Throughout this skid, freshman guard Tariq Francis has been a consistent offensive threat for the Scarlet Knights. Francis is averaging 19.3 points over his last six games, including a 28-point performance against Indiana on Jan. 23. The recent results for both teams highlight their defensive struggles. Maryland has allowed 82 points or more in four of its last seven games, while Rutgers has surrendered an average of 84.3 points during its six-game losing streak. This suggests a game where offensive execution, often a challenge for both, could be decisive. Sunday’s contest represents a critical opportunity for either team to gain a rare conference win and avoid falling further into the Big Ten basement. The rematch is scheduled for March 1 in College Park, Maryland. Tip-off is set for Sunday afternoon.