COLLEGE PARK, Md — Thursday night's showdown between #8 ranked Michigan State and #16 Maryland was, in the words of Spartans head coach Tom Izzo, a "rock fight."
The ending, however, was more reminiscent of March Madness.
The Spartans topped the Terps 58- 55 on a Tre Holloman half-court buzzer beater.
“This is a tough way to lose a game, but give them credit they came back," said Terps head coach Kevin Willard. "Holloman hadn't made a shot all night, so once he released it, I knew that thing was going in."
"I thought we deserved to win the game. I don’t think it was a lucky shot at the end. I thought we played inspired basketball. Good defensively. moved the ball," said Izzo.
Both teams struggled shooting the ball in the first half, with Michigan State hitting at a 29% rate compared to Maryland's 28%.
Each found their rhythm in the second half.
Michigan State extended its lead to nine, the largest for either team in the game, but Maryland trimmed that lead giving themselves a chance to win.
Unfortunately for the Terps, Ja'kobi Gillespie missed a late shot late that would've given Maryland the lead.
And with that, came the buzzer beater that silenced a raucous Xfinity Center crowd.
Maryland next faces Penn State on-the-road March 1.
