Maryland men's basketball squanders big lead in 87-83 loss to No. 6 Virginia

Michael Howes, The Baltimore Sun on Nov 13, 2026

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. — For much of Friday night, Maryland appeared ready to deliver the kind of victory its men’s basketball program had been missing.

Then, as quickly as the excitement built inside Xfinity Center, it began to slip away.

Maryland squandered an 11-point halftime lead against No. 6 Virginia, falling 87-83 and failing to secure the first signature victory of the Buzz Williams era.

The Cavaliers (5-0) shot a staggering 76.9% from the field in the second half, scoring 51 points to erase the deficit. Sam Lewis finished with a game-high 28 points, while Thijs De Ridder added 20.

It was a familiar disappointment for a program still searching for its footing in Williams’ second season. The Terps (1-2) lost all nine games against ranked opponents during Williams’ first year, and Friday’s defeat dropped the coach to 0-10 against ranked teams at Maryland.

The Cavaliers entered having played their fourth game in a week, while Maryland had six days to regroup after an embarrassing 86-74 loss to Georgetown at Capital One Arena.

That defeat exposed the Terps’ struggles on both ends of the floor. Maryland shot just 3 for 20 from beyond the arc, while the Hoyas made 15 of 30 and built a 27-point lead.

The Terps’ outside shooting improved only marginally against Virginia, finishing 4 for 17 (23.5%) from 3-point range. But the Cavaliers didn’t need a barrage of 3-pointers to take control. They made just four themselves, instead dominating inside with 58 points in the paint.

Maryland initially appeared to have corrected its mistakes.

Despite missing their first four 3-point attempts, the Terps attacked the basket, drew fouls and received contributions throughout their rotation. Mike McNair Jr. broke the drought with 6:28 remaining in the first half, extending Maryland’s lead to 25-19.

Andre Mills later threw down a fast-break dunk before McNair buried another 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer, sending the Terps into the locker room ahead 47-36.

It was Maryland’s largest halftime lead against an Associated Press top-10 opponent since 2015.

Pharrel Payne scored 12 first-half points, while Kaden House and McNair added 10 apiece. The Terps made 19 of 24 free throws and forced eight turnovers before halftime.

But Virginia quickly chipped away at the deficit.

The Cavaliers opened the second half with an 8-2 run, trimming Maryland’s lead to five. McNair briefly restored a double-digit advantage with a 3-pointer that made it 63-53 with 12:51 remaining.

Then the Terps’ offense went cold.

Virginia scored nine unanswered points to pull within one, then tied the game at 67 with 6:54 remaining. Chance Mallory’s 3-pointer 23 seconds later gave the Cavaliers a 70-69 lead, their first since the opening minutes.

Maryland briefly moved back in front, but Virginia continued attacking the basket. A layup by De Ridder gave the Cavaliers a 76-72 advantage with 4:17 remaining, prompting Williams to call a timeout.

House converted a three-point play to bring Maryland within one, but turnovers on the Terps’ next two possessions proved costly. De Ridder and Lewis converted layups to extend Virginia’s lead to 80-75 with 2:36 remaining.

After Lewis scored again inside, De Ridder cashed a 3-pointer with 1:33 left to push the advantage to 85-77, quieting a crowd that had spent much of the night anticipating an upset.

The Terps shot just 37.9% from the field after halftime and committed seven second-half turnovers. Virginia, meanwhile, made 20 of its 26 attempts over the final 20 minutes and finished shooting 62.3%.

Payne led Maryland with 20 points, while House added 17 and McNair scored 15. The Terps received 42 points from their bench but were outrebounded 35-26.

Maryland has not defeated a top-10 opponent since Jan. 14, 2024, when it upset No. 10 Illinois, 76-67, on the road.

For a while Friday, that drought appeared close to ending.

Instead, the wait for Williams’ first marquee victory continued.