With just 26 seconds left and his team staring down another gut-punch loss, Buzz Williams didn’t go to the clipboard. He went to his players.
Maryland, down two on the road at Minnesota, needed a bucket-desperately. Not just to win the game, but to stop the bleeding of a brutal Big Ten stretch.
In the huddle, Williams gave his team a choice: pick the play you believe in. The players chose, and when the ball came out of that timeout, it ended up in the hands of the guy who’s earned that trust time and time again-senior guard Diggy Coit.
With six seconds on the shot clock and a defender in his face, Coit rose up from deep and buried a clutch three that gave the Terps a late lead they wouldn’t give back. That shot was the turning point in a 67-62 win, a rare bright spot in a tough season. It was just Maryland’s second Big Ten win in 12 tries, and only their second road victory all year.
The moment belonged to Coit, who didn’t just hit the game-winner-he owned the final stretch. Over the last 13:20 of game time, Coit outscored the entire Minnesota team, 20-19. That’s not just clutch-it’s carrying your team across the finish line.
“Obviously, it wasn’t a clean look,” Williams said postgame, “but it was the look we were trying to get.” The execution wasn’t perfect, but the concept was clear, and the players understood what was needed.
Coit finished with 29 points in 29 minutes, hitting 9 of 13 from the field. It was another signature performance in a season where Maryland has had to fight for every inch.
Despite being undersized and outmatched in the paint most nights, the Terps actually won the rebounding battle against Minnesota, 31-28. They also cleaned up the turnover issues that had plagued them lately, coughing it up just 10 times.
“I thought we were much better on the glass, on both sides of the ball, than we’ve been,” Williams said. “We didn’t give the ball to the other team at such a high rate. We were able to get fouled-at some point, we’ve got to make a higher percentage of free throws-but 71% is good.”
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t a team riding momentum. Maryland had dropped 11 of its last 12 against power-conference opponents, most of them by double digits. But that didn’t stop them from showing up ready to battle.
“Very thankful,” Williams said. “I think the resilience of our guys today showed up in the scoreboard. I have great respect and am inspired by how they were raised-that they’ve continued to fight through all of this.”
That resilience was tested in a big way. Minnesota knocked down 14 threes-14!-and still couldn’t close the deal.
That’s a testament to Maryland’s grit. The Gophers took 33 of their 47 shots from beyond the arc, an unusually high percentage, but it’s part of what makes them so tough to guard.
Their offense is built on movement, passing, and putting defenders in a spin cycle. But Maryland stuck to the game plan.
Williams credited assistant coach Devin Johnson for crafting a defensive approach that gave them a chance. “Their offense is very unique,” Williams said.
“Number one basket assist rate in the country. They made 20 baskets-15 of them were assisted.
They get fouled at a high rate because their offense puts you in a scrambled motion.”
To counter that, Maryland needed size and physicality. That’s why reserve center Collin Metcalf got the starting nod again. He didn’t light up the stat sheet-four points, three boards-but his presence helped level the playing field.
“It just gives us some level of size,” Williams explained. “Some level of more potential physicality.”
Maryland’s defensive execution wasn’t perfect-14 made threes is a lot to give up-but it was more cohesive than it’s been in a while. Players were communicating, switching with purpose, and showing a level of focus that had been missing.
“With one day of practice, we came over here early this morning after chapel and got, I think, 12 different reps,” Williams said. “And then I thought the execution of it was better.”
The win doesn’t erase the struggles of the season, but it does show what this team is still capable of when the pieces click. A gritty road win, led by a fearless senior and a group that still believes in each other-that’s something to build on.
As for Williams?
“My brain’s kind of scrambled,” he admitted. “I’m just thankful we won.”
And for a team that’s taken more than its fair share of punches this season, that gratitude says it all.