The Spartans have showed flashes of what they are capable of from time to time but consistency has been an issue all year. On Tuesday night, MSU (9-5 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) turned in an ugly first half performance before finding itself offensively in the second half.

Forty minutes weren't enough to decide a winner, and after two overtimes, MSU failed to close out the game, losing 68-66.

After shooting 20.8 percent from the field in the first half, a strong defensive performance kept the Spartans in the game, holding Maryland to just 17 points at the break. Unfortunately, MSU scored only 14 points.

In the second half and overtime periods, MSU’s guards struggled containing Maryland’s standout freshman guard Melo Trimble. Trimble blew by the Spartans and got fouled at the rim consistently, finishing the game 12-of-14 from the free throw line.

“Our two guards just couldn't stop a guy that just put his head down and went,” Izzo said of his team’s defense on Trimble.

“They just drove it down our throat,” Izzo said. “We’re usually a pretty good help team. They just drove right by guys.”

Junior forward Denzel Valentine also noted his team’s lackluster defensive effort, noting that the team could focus on match-ups and assignments more.

“We need to pay more attention to the scouting report and know other team’s tendencies,” Valentine said.

Although rebounding is often a characteristic of Izzo’s team, Maryland out-rebounded the Spartans, 52-36. After missing the team’s last two games, senior forward Branden Dawson returned to the starting lineup and led MSU with 11 rebounds. Sophomore forward Gavin Schilling and junior forward Matt Costello each had six rebounds, and Valentine added another eight.

“We sucked on the boards,” Costello said. “There’s no other way to put that. To be honest, I don’t know what (the problem) is. It’s not an effort related thing. We know our job, so I’m not quite sure what was going on.”

Senior guard Travis Trice, junior guard Bryn Forbes, and sophomore guard Alvin Ellis combined for one rebound in the game, while seven different Terrapins recorded at least five rebounds. Izzo said that the “guards just aren't doing enough right now.”

“It’s hard to play 40 minutes and not get a rebound,” Izzo said. “We did that tonight.”

Making matters worse, the Spartans finished the game at 67.9 percent from the line. The team did shoot better in the two overtime periods, making 7-of-9 free throws, but MSU clearly left some points off the board with nine misses over the course of the game.