Maryland guard Eric Ayala (5) goes up for a shot against Nebraska forward Lat Mayen (11), guard Teddy Allen (0) and forward Derrick Walker during the first half Tuesday in College Park, Md.
Julio Cortez, Associated Press
Nebraska center Eduardo Andre (left) and Maryland forward Galin Smith chase a loose ball during the first half Tuesday in College Park, Md.
Fatigue, finally, might be catching up to the Nebraska men's basketball team.
The Huskers' coach and starting point guard said as much Tuesday night, after Maryland outscored NU 20-6 over the game's final 7 minutes, 14 seconds to pull away for a 64-50 win in the first of back-to-back games at the Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland.
Playing for the sixth time in 11 days after a month away while dealing with COVID-19, the Huskers (5-13, 1-10 Big Ten) managed to pull into a 44-44 tie on Kobe Webster's three-pointer with 8:12 left.
But the Huskers went just 2-for-7 the rest of the way while Maryland was 7-for-12, and NU didn't make a field goal for the game's final 3 minutes, 32 seconds.
"It's a mental thing as well as a physical thing," NU guard Dalano Banton said. "We've just got to be able to piece it together for the whole 40 minutes, fatigue or not, and be able to come out with the win.
"But definitely, fatigue has been a part of it. But we're going to fight it head-on and be able to push through it and hopefully bounce back tomorrow and get us one."
In a sign of the challenge Nebraska currently faces, the team flew from Penn State to Maryland on Sunday evening, got to their hotel, and set up makeshift ice tubs in the players' hotel rooms to try and help recovery. The Huskers have essentially been watching film and having walk-throughs in the short time between games as they try to power their way through.
The grind hasn't affected the team's effort, Hoiberg said. Nebraska's defense forced Maryland into a season-high 17 turnovers Tuesday, and the Terps were shooting 39% from the field before their late spurt.
But, Nebraska could only convert those 17 turnovers into four points on the other end. NU also missed 12 layups, several of them lightly contested, and went 6-for-12 at the free-throw line.
"I think it is affecting us," Hoiberg said. "There is a sense of fatigue with our guys right now. We're trying to do everything that we can. … But I thought our guys battled. I thought they played hard. I didn't think it was an effort thing tonight. We just really struggled to get anything going."
Nebraska also played with a limited second-half lineup as starting forward Derrick Walker didn't play after halftime and was on the court for just eight minutes in the first half.
Walker wasn't feeling well, Hoiberg said, and the decision was made to hold him out. He will be reevaluated Wednesday.
"We're just in a position right now where we're not going to take any chances, especially with the schedule that we're on and what we've had," Hoiberg said.
Teddy Allen scored 18 points to lead Nebraska while Banton finished with 10 points, four rebounds and three assists. They were the only Huskers to score more than six points.
The Huskers shot just 28% in the second half, going 2-for-14 from three-point range after halftime after making six threes in the first half.
Aaron Wiggins paced Maryland (12-10, 6-9) with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Jairus Hamilton, who came into Tuesday averaging 6.4 points per game, tied his season high with 15 while hitting a season-best six shots from the field.
The teams will play again Wednesday, with tip set for 6 p.m. The game will mark Nebraska's seventh game in 12 days.
The Huskers will then get an entire 48 hours off before taking on Purdue Saturday in Lincoln.
"Our guys, they're completely exhausted right now," Hoiberg said. "We've got to find a way to muster up the energy, put this one behind us, and give everything we've got."
Photos: Late drought dooms Nebraska in loss to open rare back-to-back series in Maryland
Maryland guard Eric Ayala (5) goes up for a shot against Nebraska forward Lat Mayen (11), guard Teddy Allen (0) and forward Derrick Walker during the first half Tuesday in College Park, Md.