Russell scores 23 as Maryland rolls past Nebraska 90-74

LINCOLN, Neb. -- — Fatts Russell scored 23 points, leading six in double figures, and Maryland rolled through the second half to defeat Nebraska 90-74 on Friday night.

Maryland shot 73% through the first 10 minutes of the second half, turning a two-point halftime lead into a 73-54 advantage. Donta Scott led the 31-14 run with nine points. Maryland finished the half at 59% and shot 52.5% for the game. The Terrapins had only four turnovers in the game.

A 3-pointer and a three-point play by Bryce McGowens helped draw the Cornhuskers within 82-68 near the four-minute mark. Nebraska scored its next six points from the free-throw line and it was 84-74 with 2:25 to go. Nebraska did not score again.

Scott finished with 15 points and seven rebounds for the Terrapins (12-14, 4-11 Big 12). Julian Reese scored a career-high 13 points, Hakim Hart added 11, and Qudus Wahab and Ian Martinez scored 10 each.

Leading scorer Eric Ayala (15.1 ppg) returned to the lineup after an injury kept him out of Maryland’s near-upset of then-No. 3 Purdue on Sunday. Ayala scored two points, going 0-for-3 from the field, in 24 minutes of play.

McGowens, the current and six-time Big Ten freshman of the week, scored 25 points for the Cornhuskers (7-19, 1-14). It was his ninth 20-point game of the season. Alonzo Verge Jr. scored 14 points and C.J. Wilcher had 10. Nebraska shot 40%.

Maryland trailed 19-14 nine minutes into the game before Reese scored seven points in an 11-2 run for a 25-21 lead near the eight-minute mark. Their were six lead changes in the remainder of the half and Maryland led 42-40 at the break.

It was the 13th meeting between the two teams that joined the Big Ten during the conference's expansion era. Maryland leads 10-3.

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