Maryland vs. Purdue: Score, Highlights and Reaction from 2016 Regular Season

Behind the play of big men Robert Carter and Diamond Stone, No. 4 Maryland defeated No. 18 Purdue 72-61 on Saturday. It is the 26th consecutive win for Maryland at home in College Park.

The Terrapins needed a big stretch of play to end the game in order to pull out the win. They trailed 51-47 with six minutes, two seconds left in the game before outscoring Purdue 25-10.   

Carter recorded 19 points on the night, while Stone added another 12 down low. Guard Rasheed Sulaimon was active on both sides of the court on Saturday. He led all scorers with 21 points while providing good defense and igniting Maryland's transition game.   

The Terrapins managed to do all of this despite the struggles of star guard Melo Trimble, who shot just 2-of-12 from the field. However, he wasn't afraid to drive to the hoop and make contact with the opposition. He was 10-of-11 from the free-throw line and ended the day with 14 points. 

In comparison, Purdue attempted just five free throws in the entire game.

It was a battle for Maryland, though, which had its hands full with Purdue center A.J. Hammons. The 7-footer was a dominant presence on the inside with 18 points. He was one of just two Purdue players to put up a double-digit scoring output at Xfinity Center.    

Purdue had no success from long range to provide a different offensive look either, as it shot 3-of-25 from three-point range. 

ABC's Dave Furst tried to shed some light on why the Boilermakers could have struggled that much from distance:

Maryland had a quick start to the game and went up eight in the first half. But a 14-2 Purdue run cancelled that out. The Terps missed nine consecutive shots in that span. 

Purdue relied on Hammons, who made five of his first nine shots, which came in his usual style of dunking, per Purdue on BTN:

On the other hand, Stone was good when he could get his hands on the ball. He scored six points but was only able to attempt six shots in the first 20 minutes. What was even worse for Maryland was that Trimble didn't have a single field goal in the first half. Instead, the Terrapins turned to Carter, who poured in 11. 

Carter impressed the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore:

However, Maryland was down three at the half with its 25-game home winning streak on the line. 

Things turned in the second half when Hammons was forced to the bench because of foul trouble. He picked up his third of the game a little more than two minutes into the second. 

The Purdue offense struggled to find a source of scoring in his absence and gave up its lead briefly.

Maryland's offense wasn't exactly clicking either, but it was aggressive enough to find ways to score. Trimble finally converted his first field goal of the game nine minutes into the second, while Carter remained solid. 

Maryland on BTN showed Carter's second big dunk of the game to help give the Terps a lead:

Once Hammons got back on the floor, though, the Boilermakers of the first half returned, and they quickly regained their slim lead. Purdue never led by more than four as there were 11 lead changes in the game. 

With its solid inside game getting keyed on by Carter and Stone, Purdue resorted to a number of long-range shots that did not go down. The Terps went on a 9-0 run that ended with a little less than four minutes to go in the game, which helped wrap up their eventual win. 

Purdue was looking for its first road win against a Top Five opponent since 1994, when it took down No. 3 Michigan, and it'll have to wait a little while longer. Another big test awaits the Boilermakers, though, when they host No. 10 Michigan State on Tuesday. 

The Terrapins have a bit of an easier stretch of play ahead of them. They don't play a ranked opponent until they travel to Purdue on Feb. 27. This win should be a promising one for the Terps, though. On a night when their best player struggled from the field, other members of the team managed to step up and find ways to win.

As March inches closer, that has to be a big confidence boost for one of the best teams in the nation.  

Post-Game Reaction

While it might have not been Maryland's best offensive output, head coach Mark Turgeon was pleased with his defense, via CSN's Chick Hernandez:

The win concluded a three-game week that included triumphs over Ohio State and Nebraska as Turgeon was one proud coach, per the Testudo Times:

He even had some things to say about Trimble though he struggled. Turgeon commented on his maturity on the court and his ability to put points on the board even if he isn't having his best shooting night, per 247 Sports' Josh Stirn:

The good feelings didn't extend to Purdue's side of things, where head coach Matt Painter was trying to wrap his head around his team shooting just five free throws on the day, per CSN's Daniel Martin:

He also took a moment to sing the praises of Sulaimon, who drew comparisons of another great Maryland guard, per Stirn:

The Maryland win gives the Terps, who are tied with No. 22 Indiana and No. 5 Iowa, a 2.5 game lead over the second-place Boilmakers who are tied with No. 10 Michigan State and Michigan. That kind of cushion could be vital with less than 10 regular games remaining.

Stats courtesy of ESPN.com.