Darryl Morsell and Jalen Smith make sure No. 9 Maryland holds off Rutgers

Smith's sixth block of the night denied Rutgers a go-ahead layup with 52 seconds to go, and Morsell grabbed the loose ball. Rutgers fouled Morsell on the play, and the junior hit one of two free throws. After a Rutgers turnover, the Scarlet Knights fouled to no avail, and Maryland secured a 56-51 win.

Morsell grabbed the rebound again on Rutgers' missed three-pointer with 18 seconds to go. Morsell, a guard from Baltimore, bounced happily on the court, smiling because he knew the Terrapins would prevail.

"We kind of take playing at home personal," Morsell said of the Terrapins who are undefeated at Xfinity Center this season. "We don't feel like we should really lose at home. So when we came out, we knew we had to answer the calling."

Anthony Cowan Jr. led the team with 17 points, including six made free throws in the final four minutes, but through much of the night, Rutgers did an admirable job defending Maryland's senior guard.

Smith notched his fifth straight double-double (14 points and 15 rebounds), but when Coach Mark Turgeon assessed Smith's performance, he said, "Stix was Stix." These dominant displays that include game-altering defensive plays have become normal for the surging sophomore.

Smith and Morsell, former high school teammates, had already willed Maryland (18-4, 8-3 Big Ten) ahead when it seemed in jeopardy of suffering its first home loss.

Trailing early in the second half, the Terps jumped back ahead with a 12-2 run. All 12 of those points came from the pair of Baltimore natives. Morsell began that stretch with an emphatic dunk, jumping off the Big Ten logo just in front of the free throw line. Smith, a standout sophomore forward, capped the run with a thunderous slam of his own and then converted the three-point play.

Morsell struggled in the first half with 1-of-5 shooting and two turnovers. All that seemed to block his layups was the rim, Morsell said. At halftime, Morsell said Turgeon, assistant coach DeAndre Haynes and Cowan all challenged him to play better. In the second half, Turgeon said the junior "was just active instead of moping." He drove to the rim more and improved his attitude.

Rutgers (16-7, 7-5) threatened late, but the Terps' best players managed to prevent the upset and secure Maryland's fifth straight win. Morsell likened the game to a "street fight." Neither team ever led by more than eight points.

"I feel like Coach Turgeon trusted his veteran guys," Morsell said. "Teammates trusted us. We just stepped up and made big plays."

Maryland has won all eight games against Rutgers since the schools joined the Big Ten together in 2014-15. But this season's Scarlet Knights are different than their predecessors. Rutgers slid into The Associated Press poll for the first time in 41 years, falling out of the Top 25 just before its trip to College Park. Rutgers has established itself as one of the conference's top-tier teams, giving Tuesday night's matchup more meaning than anticipated when the season began.

Smith hit three-pointers on his first two shots of the game, and the Terps had an eight-point lead at 12:49 when Turgeon called upon a lineup beyond his six best players. Chol Marial, Ricky Lindo Jr. and Serrel Smith Jr. entered the game together but prompted the start of a dismal stretch that continued even after Turgeon returned to his more dependable group.

The Terps endured a scoring drought of about three minutes after that substitution, then another that lasted more than seven minutes. Rutgers climbed ahead by as many seven points thanks to a 19-4 run. Maryland missed 11 straight shots during the final nine minutes of the first half. The Scarlet Knights, who didn't score for the final five minutes of the half, still had a 25-20 advantage at halftime. Maryland had only scored fewer first-half points once this season, against Seton Hall (18).

The Terps needed a few minutes after halftime before they finally made a field goal, a Donta Scott layup. On the next possession, Morsell ignited the crowd with his dunk that sparked the Terps' critical second-half run.

"We weren't our best," Turgeon said, "but when we had to be, we were good."

Akwasi Yeboah led Rutgers with 13 points, and the Scarlet Knights' solid defense frustrated the Terps, particularly early. Maryland shot only 24.1 percent in the first half. Jacob Young, who has scored 8.5 points per game off the bench for Rutgers, was suspended for the game following a driving while intoxicated arrest.

Maryland still lacks the contributions it needs from its bench. Wiggins has played well lately in a sixth-man role, but behind him, the Terps' reserves only combined for four points in 14 minutes. Marial played after missing the previous three games dealing with minor injury issues, but his production was limited.

But Maryland's best players did enough. The four-guard lineup that features Maryland's best five players shared the court for the final eight minutes, weathering the Rutgers rally and delivering in critical moments. With the win, combined with Michigan State's loss at home to Penn State, the Terps are tied with Illinois for first place in the Big Ten.

When asked after that game if that development was worth celebrating, Cowan said, "Not when you feel like you've been having the same type of year for four years. I feel like we've been here a lot."

Because it's still only February. And if anyone on this team understands the importance of what lies ahead, it's Cowan.