No. 23 Michigan barely beats short-handed Maryland 68-67

John Beilein

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman made two free throws with 1.2 seconds left, lifting No. 23 Michigan to a 68-67 win over Maryland on Monday night.

Kevin Huerter connected on a go-ahead 3-pointer on the previous possession for the short-handed Terrapins, who trailed by 10 with five-plus minutes left in the game.

Moritz Wagner had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Wolverines (16-4, 5-2), and reserve Jordan Poole had 11 points.

Michigan was trailing by as much as 14 in the first half and was behind 30-20 at halftime, looking lethargic after an emotionally charged win over then-No. 4 Michigan State two days earlier. The Wolverines opened the second half with a 10-0 run and later took the lead with 13:02 left while making three 3-pointers in 44 seconds.

The Terrapins (14-6, 3-4) took the lead back midway through the second half, but Wagner made a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession. The Wolverines went ahead by 10 with 5:50 to go and yet barely did enough to win against a team with just eight healthy players on scholarship.

Maryland's Anthony Cowan scored 24 points, Huerter had 12 on 4 of 11 shooting and Darryl Morsell added 10 points.

The Wolverines were fortunate Wagner - who was 6 of 9 from the field - shot as well against the Terps as he did against the Spartans because they had a hard time making shots inside and out. They missed 10 of their first 13 shots and finished at 41 percent from the field.

BIG PICTURE

Maryland: The Terrapins may look back at this stretch of their season, reeling without key players, as a source of pride even though they've lost three of four.

Michigan: The Wolverines were due for a letdown after the win over Michigan State and were able to overcome it to win for the ninth time in 10 games.

UP NEXT

Maryland: Hosts Minnesota on Thursday night.

Michigan: Plays at Nebraska on Thursday night.