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Hakim Hart’s contributions often don’t make noise. He creates, defends and helps Maryland’s offense operate smoothly. He rarely leads the team in scoring, and his strong outings are often overshadowed by others’. Hart, a two-star recruit when he committed to Maryland, is quiet off the court, so his teammates and coaches instead rave as they explain the value of his role for the Terrapins.

But Hart’s performance against Penn State spoke for itself, and his worth was clear to Saturday’s sellout crowd at Xfinity Center. Hart powered the Terps to a 74-68 victory over the Nittany Lions, a desperate team that threatened throughout with strong three-point shooting. Hart, a senior guard, scored a game-high 23 points, his most against a Big Ten opponent, and his most valuable work came down the stretch.

After Penn State erased a double-digit first-half deficit and tied the score with 10:31 remaining in the game, Hart scored 13 points while taking over some ballhandling duties. He finished 8 for 10 from the field while making 2 of 4 attempts from three-point range, and he added five rebounds, four assists and two steals. After the teams went through the handshake line, Maryland’s players surrounded Hart and shouted in celebration.

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“Hakim’s like the heart of the team,” point guard Jahmir Young said. “He does all the little stuff, especially defensively.”

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Young (18 points) is often Maryland’s scoring leader, and his 13 second-half points offered another key boost. But when Coach Kevin Willard thought Young’s defensive assignments were leaving him fatigued, Hart led the offense and propelled the Terps (17-8, 8-6) to an important win.

The Nittany Lions shot 50.9 from the field and 46.2 percent from three-point range, but they were limited by 13 turnovers. Now on a four-game losing streak, Penn State (14-11, 5-9) has seen its NCAA tournament hopes start to slip away.

The Terps held standout guard Jalen Pickett to 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Pickett didn’t score in the first 14 minutes of the game, but his burst of seven points in less than two minutes after halftime gave Penn State a narrow edge. Maryland managed to contain him down the stretch; he made one basket in the final 11 minutes.

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Maryland double-teamed Pickett at times, deciding to leave Kanye Clary open. Clary, a freshman guard, capitalized with a career-high 17 points off the bench. Before his first trip to Xfinity Center, his best output was 10.

Maryland benefited from a significant edge at the free throw line: The Terps were 18 for 23, while Penn State finished 2 for 4. The differing styles of play — Maryland often gets downhill, while Penn State thrives with its three-point shots — contribute to that disparity, but Nittany Lions Coach Micah Shrewsberry took issue with Pickett’s lack of foul shots. He attempted just one against the Terps after going three straight games with none.

“That kid is one of the best players in our league, and he’s being treated unfairly,” Shrewsberry said. “... He plays in the paint the entire night and never sniffs the free throw line.”

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Penn State struggled on offense early, scoring just six points in nearly 12 minutes, and Maryland “didn’t take advantage of our good defense,” Willard said. The Terps built a first-half lead of 12 points, but their inability to create a larger cushion “kind of messes with your mind a little bit,” Willard said.

The Nittany Lions chipped away at their deficit by making eight straight shots during a six-minute stretch just before halftime. They faced a three-point deficit at halftime and kept the game tight until Hart led the Terps on their late eruption.

Here’s what else to know about Maryland’s win:

Penn State’s threes

Penn State is the Big Ten’s best three-point shooting team and entered this game attempting the 10th most in Division I at 28.1 per game.

Maryland’s perimeter defense has been solid, but the Terps had several lapses during Tuesday’s loss at Michigan State. Against Maryland, Penn State made 12 of 26 attempts from three but was just 2 for 7 in the final seven minutes. Andrew Funk led the Nittany Lions by shooting 4 for 7. Myles Dread, who fouled out with 4:12 remaining, and Seth Lundy made three shots from beyond the arc apiece.

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The Terps countered Penn State’s perimeter game with their work in the paint and ability to get to the free throw line. Maryland, which has struggled from three-point range, was 6 for 16 from deep and attempted just five in the second half.

Early turnovers

The Nittany Lions came in averaging 8.7 turnovers, the fewest in Division I. But before halftime, Penn State had already turned the ball over 10 times, including twice on shot-clock violations — a credit to Maryland’s frenetic defensive effort. The Nittany Lions were much better in the second half, finishing the game with 13, but those miscues led to 17 Maryland points.

“​​That hurt us,” Shrewsberry said. “Sometimes that’s their best offense. … They start to feel good about themselves because they’re getting layups, they’re seeing the ball go through the net at the free throw line.”

Perfect at home

Maryland is 7-0 in Big Ten play at home, and Saturday afternoon the Terps played in front of a sellout crowd for the first time since the regular season finale in March 2020, when Maryland clinched a share of the Big Ten title just days before the coronavirus pandemic prompted the cancellation of the postseason.

On the road, the Terps are 1-6 in conference play, and their struggles have heightened the importance of playing well at home.

“Our building is loud,” Willard said. “It’s a great home court. You need it in this league because winning on the road in this conference is unlike anything I’ve experienced.”

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