Andre Mills Scores Career-High 39 Points in Maryland Loss

Redshirt freshman guard emerges as focal point of Terps' offense despite defeat to Northwestern

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Maryland fell to Northwestern, 78-74, on Feb. 18, despite a career-high 39-point performance from redshirt freshman guard Andre Mills. Mills scored 22 points in the first half and hit a contested 3-pointer in the final seconds to cut the deficit, but it wasn't enough as the Terrapins dropped to 10-16 overall and 3-11 in Big Ten play. Northwestern scored 17 points off 15 Maryland turnovers, which head coach Buzz Williams said was too much pressure for his team.

Why it matters

Mills has emerged as the focal point of Maryland's offense, and his career-high scoring night shows his potential as a rising star for the Terrapins. However, the loss highlights Maryland's struggles this season, as they continue to search for consistency and a path back to the win column in Big Ten play.

The details

Mills scored a career-high 39 points on 11-of-16 shooting, keeping Maryland within reach for much of the game. He was the lone Terp in double figures until senior forward Solomon Washington scored 11 points late. Northwestern responded to Maryland's 7-0 run to take the lead with a 22-4 surge, sparked by guard Jordan Clayton's four 3-pointers. Forward Nick Martinelli led the Wildcats with 29 points.

  • The game was played on February 18, 2026.
  • Maryland will next face Washington on February 21, 2026 at 3 p.m.

The players

Andre Mills

A redshirt freshman guard for the Maryland Terrapins who scored a career-high 39 points in the loss to Northwestern.

Buzz Williams

The head coach of the Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team.

Jordan Clayton

A guard for the Northwestern Wildcats who sparked their 22-4 run with four 3-pointers.

Nick Martinelli

A forward for the Northwestern Wildcats who led the team with 29 points.

Solomon Washington

A senior forward for the Maryland Terrapins who scored 11 points in the closing seconds of the game.

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What they’re saying

“I thought we played with incredible fight. I thought we did a lot of the things that we had to do. I thought we were better in a lot of ways than we were on Sunday [against Rutgers].”

— Buzz Williams, Head Coach (Big Ten Men's Basketball)

“If you have 15 turnovers, you can't turn it over in the 20-percentile range. It's just too much pressure for any team, but specifically our team.”

— Buzz Williams, Head Coach (Big Ten Men's Basketball)

“You can't let [Martinelli] wear you out, and you can't foul him. So, he scores eight points on free throws. That would be the one thing that was a part of the plan that we didn't execute very well.”

— Buzz Williams, Head Coach (Big Ten Men's Basketball)

“You're going to give up some threes. I would say that's the highest number of threes they've made. Their analytics say that our plan was right. You are going to give up some. Our contests were not great at times.”

— Buzz Williams, Head Coach (Big Ten Men's Basketball)

What’s next

Maryland will look to return to the win column when it returns to College Park to face Washington on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 3 p.m.

The takeaway

Despite the loss, Andre Mills' career-high performance shows he is emerging as a focal point of the Maryland offense and a rising star for the Terrapins. However, the team's struggles with turnovers and defensive lapses continue to plague them in Big Ten play.