Bryant McIntosh leaned over Isiah Brown’s shoulder Wednesday and whispered something in the seated freshman’s ear during a timeout.
Brown chuckled and Northwestern seemed the opposite of anxious despite a nine-point, first-half deficit against No. 23 Maryland.
But while the Wildcats had relaxation on their side, the Terrapins had Melo Trimble on theirs during a 74-64 victory that cast a hush over Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Northwestern (19-7, 8-5 Big Ten) couldn’t shoot and it couldn’t guard the junior guard, who left Evanston with 32 points, four rebounds and three assists and left the Wildcats back in reality three days after they stunned then-No. 7 Wisconsin on the road for what some have called the program’s biggest victory.
"I could have guarded him a lot better," said Northwestern sophomore Vic Law, who had 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. "Early I had a couple of blocks on him, then I let him go. I wore down."
Vic Law on Northwestern’s loss to Maryland
Northwestern’s Vic Law discusses the Wildcats’ loss to Maryland. (Paul Skrbina/Chicago Tribune)
Northwestern’s Vic Law discusses the Wildcats’ loss to Maryland. (Paul Skrbina/Chicago Tribune)
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And so did the Wildcats, who struggled to make baskets early while without leading scorer Scottie Lindsey (mononucleosis) for the fourth consecutive game.
After Dererk Pardon rattled the rim and shook the shot clock with his leadoff dunk that afforded the Wildcats a brief 2-0 lead, Maryland left Northwestern in its dust with a 9-0 run. The Wildcats started 3-for-17 from the field and finished 23-for-59, including 5-for-22 from behind the 3-point line.
At one point Northwestern missed four open shots during one possession.
With the Wildcats trailing 18-9 after Trimble scored four straight, the Wildcats Twitter account posted a GIF of a manhole cover sliding into place with the caption: "Who did this to our rim?"
"It’s just one of those nights when we just couldn’t put it in the basket," Wildcats coach Chris Collins said. "Against a real good team, you can’t get away with that. They made us not play well."
Twice McIntosh took a seat during the first half because of foul trouble — the first time when he committed his second foul less than three minutes into the game.
McIntosh’s fouls outnumbered the two points he scored in the first half. By the time 13 minutes had passed in the second half, and the Wildcats’ deficit had swelled to nearly 20, McIntosh (nine points, six assists) was waving his arms in the air in protest of another call and the Wildcats were all but finished against the Terrapins (22-4, 10-3).
Photos from the game on Feb. 15, 2017, at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
"We’re a different team when he’s not on the floor," Collins said. "He’s the guy who makes us go. He hasn’t been a foul-prone guy."
McIntosh’s absence allowed Brown some extra minutes. He made the most of them by scoring a career-best 19 points and playing some tough defense on a night when it seemed that was in short supply for the Wildcats, who also missed 10 free throws.
Brown, who made his first two career starts in the first two games Lindsey missed, has come off the bench for the last two.
Lindsey could return for Saturday’s home game against Big Ten bottom-dweller Rutgers. The Wildcats will be aiming for a program-tying best 20th victory, can’t Collins said they can’t take victory against the Scarlet Knights for granted.
pskrbina@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @ChiTribSkrbina
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