February 3, 2016

----------------------------- 
               1   2   total 
Maryland (4)  29  41    70 
NEBRASKA (NR) 28  37    65 
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Lincoln, Neb. — For the second straight year, Nebraska had a chance to tie in the final seconds against a top-10 Maryland team, but the Huskers fell just short, 70-65 to No. 4/3 (AP/Coaches) Maryland Wednesday evening in front of a crowd of 15,693 at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Nebraska trailed 68-65 after Diamond Stone's missed free throw with 33 seconds left and had possession. The Huskers missed a first attempt by Shavon Shields, but the ball went off Maryland, giving the Huskers another chance with 18 seconds left. NU ran a play for Andrew White III, who finished with a game high 19 points and nine rebounds, but his 3-pointer from the wing was off the mark.

Melo Trimble capped 20-point effort with a pair of free throws for the final margin, as all three Big Ten games between Nebraska (12-11, 4-6 Big Ten) and Maryland (20-3, 9-2 Big Ten) have been decided by five points or less.

White led a balanced Husker attack that saw four players in double figures, even though NU shot a season-low 32 percent from the floor. Shavon Shields had 11 points and four assists, while freshmen Michael Jacobson and Glynn Watson Jr. added 10 apiece in the losing effort.

Diamond Stone carried Maryland on the inside, finishing with 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocked shots, matching a Husker opponent record. Rasheed Sulaimon and Jared Nickens finished with 11 points each for the Terrapins.

The story of the game for the Huskers was its inability to convert Maryland mistakes into points. The Huskers forced 18 Terrapin turnovers, but could score just nine points off it. Combined with a 43-35 deficit on the boards, it allowed Maryland to earn its third straight win over the Huskers.

Nebraska trailed 47-41 with 12:28 left, but the Huskers responded the play of Shields, who had five of his 11 points in the run. Nebraska used a 13-4 surge to take a 54-51 lead with 8:29 left after a Tai Webster basket.

The lead would not last long, as Trimble quickly tied it up on a 3-pointer on Maryland's next possession. Nebraska regained the lead moments later on a White 3-pointer, but Trimble, who had 14 second-half points, hit another 3-pointer on Maryland's next possession and regained the lead moments later with a free throw with 5:49 remaining.

With the score tied at 58, Maryland regained the lead for good on a Stone dunk and a pair of free throws by Robert Carter. Jacobson then made it a 1-point game, as his 3-pointer made it 62-61 with 2:31 left, but the most crucial possession came moments later, as Jake Layman converted a basket and was fouled with 2:09 left. Layman missed the free throw, but NU was unable to finish the possession, as Stone got the rebound and dunked it to put Maryland up by five.

Nebraska kept chipping away, as Webster hit a pair of free throws with 54 seconds left to pull NU within 68-65, setting the stage for the finish.

In the first half, Nebraska used a strong finish, outscoring Maryland 7-2 over the last six and half minutes to pull within 29-28 at the break.

The Huskers, who shot just 28 percent in the half, used its defense to stay in the game, forcing 13 Maryland turnovers, while committing only two in the opening half.

Nebraska took the lead early, using a 9-2 spurt to build an 11-6 lead after a 3-point play from Shields at the 15:12 mark. The lead would not last long, as Maryland responded with a run of its own to build a 16-13 lead after Rasheed Sulaimon 3-pointer with 12:39 left in the half.

Nebraska would stay in striking distance, as the Terrapins built their largest lead of the half at 27-21 after a Jared Nickens' 3-pointer to force a timeout. From that point, Nebraska's defense took over as Maryland had one field goal the rest of the half to get NU back into the game.

The Huskers scored seven straight points, tying the score at 27 on an Andrew White III dunk off a Parker steal and regaining the lead at 28-27 after Jake Hammond's free throw with 2:44 left. Maryland regained the lead before the break on Stone's jumper with 1:53 left before intermission

The Huskers will return to action Saturday against Rutgers. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The game will be televised on ESPNU and streamed on the WatchESPN app as well as carried on the Husker Sports Network.