The Washington Huskies came up with a huge victory over Maryland on Thursday. Beating the Terrapins by a score of 75-69, UW earned their first conference victory as a member of the Big 10. In a back-and-forth battle, the Huskies prevailed on their home floor and started off their conference campaign with an important upset win over a Quad 1 opponent.
Washington’s Big Three Powered Them to Victory
Washington’s success starts and ends with senior Great Osobor. The Utah State transfer has led the team in just about every statistical category so far, and he continued his dominance against the Terps, tallying 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists. Washington performed well in the paint partly due to Osobor and also the ability of DJ Davis and Zoom Diallo, who put pressure on the rim throughout the game.
Diallo was particularly impressive. The freshman stacked up 18 points and had several splash moments. Throughout the season, Diallo has been very impressive in moments but has struggled with consistency. However, his undeniable talent shone through against Maryland, particularly in the first half. Diallo and Osobor each had timely buckets to keep the Huskies within touching distance. From Tacoma, Washington, Diallo is a local kid showing that he is made for the big moments, even drawing attention from NBA scouts.
The kid from Tacoma is showing out in his first matchup with a ranked opponent 😮💨
Watch on @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/TyW13rGTu3
— Washington Men’s Basketball (@UW_MBB) January 3, 2025
Where Diallo and Osobor were particularly crucial in the first half, it was Davis who brought Washington home down the stretch. Davis continued to drive the ball on his way to 17 points, a huge jump from his average of 6.6 per contest. He nailed several key free throws to seal it for the Dawgs. Overall, head coach Danny Sprinkle will be very proud of his team’s ability to hang in the game against a tough opponent, keeping it close and eventually finding their way to make enough key plays to capture and hold the lead. The big three of Osobor, Diallo, and Davis are going to be the ones that grind out results for this team throughout the season.
All in all, it was a truly mature win that shows the Huskies might have a puncher’s chance as they continue forward into conference play.
Further Context for Washington’s Upset Win Over Maryland
Fans that did not tune in to the game will likely be shocked to see Maryland’s star freshman Derik Queen finish the night with only 4 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist. This was largely due to foul trouble. Queen picked up multiple fouls early and, sitting for long stretches of both halves, never found himself able to get into the flow of the game. Foul trouble was also an issue for the Terrapins’ other key player, Juju Reese. Credit Washington for being able to get downhill and draw fouls near the rim against Maryland’s imposing front line.
Although UW only managed to knock down 5 three-pointers on 21.7% as a team, their makes from deep were often timely baskets, keeping Maryland from breaking away in the first half and stretching the lead and opportune moments in the second half. The Terps also shot a disappointing percentage from beyond the arc, managing only 2 three-point baskets on 18.2% as a team. Osobor notably drained a three pointer in the first half despite being a career 18% marksman.
Is Great becoming a sharpshooter?
Watch on @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/D7NH2Tih2X
— Washington Men’s Basketball (@UW_MBB) January 3, 2025
Maryland are clearly a different team without Queen able to impact the game throughout, and they will likely still remain confident moving forward. Conversely, the win for the Huskies will be a huge boost in confidence after coming up very short in contests against other Quad 1 and 2 teams such as UCLA, USC, and rivals Washington State. UW is back in action with another mighty Big 10 opponent on Sunday, when they welcome #22 Illinois to Alaska Airlines Arena.
