COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The University of Maryland’s exhilarating surge in the second half was ignited by an unexpected contributor. DeShawn Harris-Smith, who had struggled with long-range shooting all season, opened the scoring for the Terrapins with a 3-pointer while the team was trailing by five points. This basket marked the beginning of a remarkable 14-2 run, which included four consecutive 3-pointers by the Terps, ultimately leading to a 76-68 triumph over the 17th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers on Wednesday night.

Wisconsin’s head coach, Greg Gard, acknowledged the surprise of Harris-Smith’s timely shot, given his season performance of just 4 for 22 from behind the three-point line. “You play the percentages. He’s 4 for whatever, right? Four for the year? Credit to him for stepping up and knocking it down,” Gard stated.

Despite Harris-Smith being an unexpected hero, the Terps boast several formidable shooters on the perimeter. They have enjoyed success from long range recently, completing 12 of 24 three-point attempts for the second consecutive game and marking their fourth straight victory.

Rodney Rice, who contributed by sinking 3 of 6 from beyond the arc, emphasized the team’s improved rhythm. “We’ve had our rhythm for a couple of games now. We’re just trying to keep that momentum going into the next game. We can put the ball in the basket from outside,” Rice noted.

Last season, Maryland struggled significantly with their outside shooting, recording a dismal 29% on three-pointers, which contributed to a disappointing season overall. Their improvement in this area is a key factor that may see them breaking into the AP Top 25 after this victory. The team is currently hitting 37% of their shots from three-point range, with standout performances from Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Selton Miguel, both of whom have maintained shooting percentages above 40% with more than 100 attempts.

Miguel demonstrated his sharp shooting during the game by going 4 for 5 from three-point land. Coach Kevin Willard praised his team’s shooting, stating, “Having the right guy shoot them always helps.” Initially, however, the Terps encountered difficulties, missing seven of their first nine attempts from beyond the arc before finding their rhythm in the latter stages of the game.

Willard reflected on the first half, suggesting they may have been either too anxious or not focused enough. “We got a lot of good looks in the first half. I think we were a little, either amped up or not amped up enough,” he said.