CHICAGO (Interstat) — In a game defined by a historically inept first half, the Maryland Terrapins built a mountainous lead and then withstood a furious but futile Oregon rally to secure a 70-60 victory in a Big Ten Conference men’s basketball game Tuesday night at the United Center.

The contest, a rematch of a Jan. 2 meeting won by Oregon, was effectively decided in the opening 20 minutes. Maryland raced to a 33-12 halftime lead, capitalizing on an Oregon offensive performance that bordered on catastrophic. The Ducks shot a frigid 4 of 26 from the field in the first half, including 0 for 10 from three-point range, and committed six turnovers against just two assists.

The Terrapins, meanwhile, were far from efficient but managed to piece together enough offense. David Coit, a guard from Columbus, New Jersey, scored 10 of his 17 points before the break, while forward Elijah Saunders of Phoenix added eight early points. Maryland’s defense set the tone, blocking four shots and holding Oregon without a field goal for stretches exceeding five minutes on two separate occasions.

The most important part of the game was unquestionably the first half’s sheer defensive dominance by Maryland and offensive collapse by Oregon. The 21-point halftime deficit proved insurmountable despite the Ducks’ second-half awakening. Oregon’s 12 first-half points represented one of the lowest outputs in modern program history and created a hole too deep to escape.

Oregon emerged from the locker room with renewed purpose, opening the second half on a 13-4 run to cut the deficit to 12 points. The Ducks finally found their shooting stroke, led by center Nate Bittle of Central Point, Oregon, who scored 14 of his team-high 16 points after halftime. Guard Takai Simpkins of Brooklyn, New York, orchestrated the comeback attempt, finishing with 10 points and five assists.

The Ducks continued to chip away, applying full-court pressure that forced Maryland into a more hurried offensive pace. A driving layup by Kwame Evans of Baltimore, Maryland, who finished with 14 points, brought Oregon within single digits at 56-47 with just over four minutes remaining, capping a 35-23 second-half surge to that point.

Maryland, however, had an answer each time Oregon threatened. Saunders, who led all scorers with 15 points, hit critical second-half three-pointers to blunt Oregon runs. His back-to-back triples midway through the half, one assisted by Solomon Washington and another by Andre Mills, pushed the lead back to 17 just as Oregon had gathered momentum.

The Terrapins also sealed the game at the free-throw line, making 11 of 12 attempts in the second half and 15 of 18 for the game. Guard Darius Adams of Manchester, New Jersey, was perfect on six second-half free throws in the final minutes to keep Oregon at bay.

While Oregon’s second-half offensive rating improved dramatically, their first-half woes were the ultimate determinant. The Ducks finished the game shooting just 36.5% from the field and 4 of 21 from three-point range. Maryland was not much better, shooting 40.4% overall and 9 of 30 from deep, but their early cushion provided a critical margin for error.

Maryland’s defense was anchored by Saunders, who added two blocks, and Washington of New Orleans, who had 12 points, a game-high 11 rebounds, and a block. Mills of Boston contributed 12 points and five assists for the Terrapins, who won despite registering only four assists as a team against eight turnovers.

The victory improved Maryland’s record to 11-20 overall, while Oregon fell to 12-20. The game, part of the Big Ten’s postseason tournament schedule, was played at a neutral site. Maryland will face Iowa in Chicago on Wednesday. Oregon’s season is now concluded.

The result defied the pregame metrics, which favored Oregon by three points and gave the Ducks a 54.4% probability of victory. The combined point total of 130 fell well under the betting over/under line of 139.5, largely due to the first-half scoring drought.