COLLEGE PARK — Two Upper Marlboro natives who came home to Prince George’s County this year combined for a Senior Day show in their final Xfinity Center appearance.
Jahmir Young scored 18 points, Don Carey added 13, and Maryland shot 63.6% from three-point range, knocking off No. 21 Northwestern 75-59 Sunday.
The point guard duo combined to finish 8-of-14 from beyond the arc, as the Terrapins (20-9, 11-7 Big Ten) hit on 14 of their 22 attempts from long-range.
Guard Chase Audige led Northwestern (20-9, 11-7) with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Fellow guard Boo Buie only managed a lone three-pointer in the first half and just a single free-throw make in the second, finishing with 4 points and eight of his team’s nine assists. He had 22 first-half points en route to a career-high 35 in the Wildcats’ previous outing on Feb. 23 at Illinois.
The win completes a 16-1 College Park campaign for the Terrapins, who added to their program-record 13-game home conference winning streak. A third sellout crowd — the most since 2016-17 — was treated to one of the cleanest games of the season. Maryland only committed eight fouls, seven turnovers and gave up just two steals to the team that leads the Big Ten in turnover margin.
The entirety of the first half was a rare display of precision from both schools — something each has struggled with despite their successful records.
Northwestern entered as the Big Ten’s worst shooting team, only making 40.5% of their field goals this season. That wasn’t a concern to start, as the normally defensive-minded Wildcats hit at a 59.3% clip in the first half (16-of-27).
Audige scored 10 of NU’s first 20 points, staking the Wildcats to a 20-18 lead midway through the first half. His run was part of a streak of five-straight made baskets for the visitors.
For Maryland, finding a rhythm from three-point range has been a glaring weakness all season. But Young and Carey — two of the five seniors honored in their final game in College Park — shocked the Terrapins to life from deep.
Maryland hit 8-of-11 three pointers in the first half, a blistering 72.7% for a team that is next to last in the Big Ten in that category (31.3%). Four of those came from the hands of Young, including one from the top of the circle to beat the buzzer and give Maryland a 41-39 lead at the break.
The lead changed hands nine times in the opening session, with no team getting up by more than five points. Maryland, however, put the back-and-forth trend to rest in the second half.
Three of Maryland’s first six baskets were from three, stretching its lead to nine, 55-46. Northwestern then reverted back to their mean, going more than 4:00 without a point. They would finish the second half only 30.8% from the floor
The Terrapins stepped on the gas, and Carey sealed the Wildcats’ fate with a kiss to the crowd after draining a corner three in front of his bench. His third triple extended Maryland’s lead to 62-51, the proverbial exclamation point on an extraordinary season of success at Xfinity Center.
