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Published Feb 26, 2025
Michigan State beats Maryland 58-55 behind Tre Holloman's buzzer beater
Austen Flores  •  Spartans Illustrated
Staff Writer

In a thrilling and chaotic finish, No. 8 Michigan State stunned No. 16 Maryland with a miraculous further-than-half-court buzzer-beater by Tre Holloman, securing a 58-55 victory on the road in College Park, MD.

The game was a defensive battle throughout, with both teams struggling offensively before an electrifying final minute that saw Maryland erase a late deficit, only for Michigan State to snatch the win at the horn.

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Both teams came into Wednesday’s game as two of hottest teams in the Big Ten with a ton to play for to determine an eventual conference champion. The victory improves MSU to 23-5 (14-3 conference) overall and keeps them in the driver’s seat to win the Big Ten title with three games left. Maryland drops to 21-7 (11-6 conference) in just their second home loss of the year.

Jase Richardson led the way with 15 points and eight rebounds for MSU, while Holloman added nine points, including the game-winning shot. Maryland’s Rodney Rice had a stellar night with 20 points and Ja’K Gillispie chipped in 15 while going a perfect 11-for-11 from the free-throw line.

Both teams struggled offensively, with Michigan State shooting 34% from the field and 4-for-15 from three. Maryland fared even worse, hitting just 31% of its shots and going 4-for-20 from beyond the arc. Turnovers were an issue throughout as well, with both teams combining for 23.

Richardson set the tone early, scoring the first five points and making his first three shot attempts. Maryland, on the other hand, struggled offensively, going on a 3:36 scoring drought after their opening basket. MSU took advantage and built an 11-6 lead by the 15:21 mark, weathering the intensity of the ruckus Xfinity Center crowd.

However, the Spartans soon went cold, enduring a four-minute scoring drought of their own after the first media timeout allowing Maryland to capitalize and regain an 11-10 lead with 11:42 remaining in the half. Both teams struggled with turnovers and sloppy play. In the first eight minutes, the teams combined for nine turnovers as points were hard to come by.

The game remained a low-scoring affair, with neither team able to get in a rhythm from beyond the arc. Maryland tied the game on its first made three-pointer from Rice with just under 10 minutes left in the half. The Spartans led 17-15 with 6:12 remaining, but another prolonged drought allowed UM to take a slim 23-21 lead into halftime. The Terrapins, who averaged a conference-high 41 first-half points, were held to just 21 in a gritty defensive battle.

The second half started much like the first, with both teams struggling to find offense. Jaxon Kohler, who had been limited in the first half due to foul trouble, put the Spartans on the board with an and-one layup to give Michigan State a 24-23 lead. Maryland quickly found itself in foul trouble, committing four fouls in the first four minutes after remaining mostly foul-free in the first half.

Tre Holloman sparked the Spartans with back-to-back baskets to put them up 28-27 with just over 15 minutes remaining. A fast break layup from Coen Carr capped off a 6-0 Spartans run, forcing Maryland’s Kevin Willard to call a timeout. Out of the timeout, Rice drained another three to tie the game at 30; one of the few successful perimeter shots for Maryland on the night.

The Spartans continued to push the pace, as Xavier Booker knocked down MSU’s first three-pointer of the game, giving them a 35-30 lead with 13 minutes left. They’d extend the advantage to 37-31, holding Maryland to just one made field goal in seven attempts up to that point in the half. Rice became the first player in double figures with 11 minutes to play following a pull up jumper, but Jaden Akins responded with a floater and his first points of the game to push MSU’s lead to 39-33.

Michigan State’s depth began to take over late in the game. After a missed free throw by Symone Zapala, Richardson converted a layup off an offensive rebound to push MSU’s lead to 48-43. Richardson then scored six straight points, stretching the lead to 52-43, forcing Maryland to call another timeout as they looked fatigued.

Rice tried to keep Maryland alive, hitting another three-pointer to cut the deficit to 52-46. A missed shot by Derik Queen led to a clutch three-pointer by Jeremy Fears Jr., putting MSU up 55-48 with just over three minutes left. As hope dwindled for Maryland, they refused to go away, as Rice hit a free throw to cut the lead to 55-51 with 1:35 remaining.

The game took a wild turn in the final minute. A crucial foul on Jaxon Kohler sent Ja’K Gillispie to the line, where he hit two free throws to make it a two-point game, 55-53. On the ensuing inbound, Holloman turned the ball over, leading to another foul. Gillispie knocked down two more clutch free throws, tying the game at 55 with 48.2 seconds left.

Kohler had a chance to regain the lead but missed a layup with 12 seconds remaining. Maryland rushed down the court with Gillispie taking a premature three-pointer that missed, leading to a scramble for the rebound. Holloman corralled the ball, took a few dribbles, and launched a desperate half-court heave at the buzzer—swishing it in to give Michigan State the stunning 58-55 victory.

The win marks Michigan State’s seventh straight victory over Maryland and continues their dominance against ranked opponents, securing their third straight win over a top-25 team for the first time since 2020. Despite Maryland’s impressive 16-1 home record leading into the game, MSU found a way to grind out another huge conference victory, proving once again that Tom Izzo’s has a method to his madness.

The Spartans play next on Sunday at 1:30 vs No.11 Wisconsin back at the Breslin Center.

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