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Maryland Basketball Suffers Blowout Loss Yet Again vs. Ohio State

By Anthony Brown

EAST LANSING, MI - JANUARY 4: Head coach Mark Turgeon of the Maryland Terrapins looks on during the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on January 4, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - JANUARY 4: Head coach Mark Turgeon of the Maryland Terrapins looks on during the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on January 4, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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Maryland Basketball struggled offensively against the Ohio State Buckeyes, and their defense wasn’t any better. The Buckeyes secured another B1G win at home.

Maryland Basketball 14-5 (3-3 Big Ten) came into this game with an opportunity on the road. After a convincing win against the Iowa Hawkeyes 91-73, they were faced with a chance to build some momentum in Big Ten Conference basketball play with a win against Ohio State (14-4, 5-0 Big Ten).

Maryland was playing hurt coming into this game. Already with both Justin Jackson and Ivan Bender out for the season, Terps guard, Dion Wiley was unavailable with a concussion.

The Terps only had eight scholarship players available and were tasked with trying to stop emerging Ohio St. forward Keita Bates-Diop.

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Maryland jumped out to a seven-point lead 20-13 after Michal Cekovsky slammed home a backdoor pass. Cekovsky was a perfect 5-for-5 and had 10 points with 10:15 to go in the first half.

It didn’t take long for Ohio State to get back on track as 7-0 run tied the game at 22 under eight minutes to go in the first half. The Buckeyes lead ballooned to 22-2 with help from two straight three-pointers from Bates-Diop and Andrew Dakich heating up from there as well.

The scoring drought ended after Maryland’s big man Cekovsky grabbed the offensive board and put it back up for the basket and one.

Ohio State led at the half 44-32 behind Bates-Diop’s 12 points and four rebounds and Dakich’s 11 points off the bench. He was 3-4 from behind the three-point line and led the team in bench points. Ohio State finished the half on a 29-10 run.

At the time, Cekovsky led the Terps with 13 points and three rebounds. However, with a little over 15 minutes remaining, the Buckeyes has their biggest lead of 20 points, 58-38.

The Buckeyes had another 11-2 run sparked by C.J. Jackson who had 10 points, four assists and two rebounds at the under 13 mark in the game.

Ohio State had all the answers in this game defensively while the Terps offensive seemed clueless. Therefore, Maryland falls in ugly fashion to Ohio State, 91-69.

Bates-Diop had 26 points and eight rebounds and as a team, the Buckeyes made 17 three-pointers to Maryland’s eight and had a 25-12 margin in assists.

Impressive defense by Ohio State, coupled with two extensive scoring runs resulted in an Ohio State rout of Maryland basketball.  The Terps were led by Cekovsky, who scored a career-high 18 points, along with five rebounds and two blocks.

Next: Terps Offensive Lineman Returning for Senior Year

The Maryland basketball schedule gives the Terps a rest over the weekend as they prepare to take on the Michigan Wolverines Monday, Jan. 15 night 6:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.

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