A grueling stretch of adverse opponents punished Maryland with a three-game dropping streak. These matchups, together with a number of highway journeys, got here in fast succession, leaving little room for observe time and zapping power from Coach Kevin Willard’s optimistic begin in School Park. However the Terrapins lastly had a break, and once they returned to the courtroom Thursday evening towards St. Peter’s, they ended their skid.
Maryland
Refreshed Maryland rides pesky defense to blowout of St. Peter’s
After the seven-day layoff, the Terps’ protection appeared sharp as Maryland cruised to a 75-45 victory over the Peacocks (6-6) at Xfinity Heart. Maryland (9-3) seized management early with its re-energized defensive effort, then made 9 of 11 area targets to begin the second half and develop the lopsided margin.
Maryland held the Peacocks to 30.4 % taking pictures and compelled 17 turnovers, profiting from a St. Peter’s offense that has struggled. Willard stated he harped on protection as his group ready for this sport and observed the progress on the courtroom.
“I simply thought they appeared mentally contemporary,” Willard stated.
Even with ahead Julian Reese sidelined due to a shoulder harm, the Terps had sufficient offensive choices to dominate. Hakim Hart, who erupted for a career-high 32 factors when Maryland performed the Peacocks two years in the past, had one other robust displaying on this matchup, main the Terps with 20 factors.
Willard stated he had been onerous on Hart within the days main as much as this sport. Late within the first half, Hart complained after an opposing participant elbowed him within the face. Willard stated he “obtained on him just a bit bit, and we had a man-to-man dialog.” From there, Hart surged.
“He’s the difference-maker,” Willard stated. “When he’s engaged and he’s enjoying, he’s going — he simply provides us such a unique dimension offensively, even defensively.”
The Terps shot 53.2 % from the sector — together with a significantly better three-point taking pictures mark within the second half (5 of 9 for 56 %) than within the first (3 of 12 for 25 %) — and three gamers, together with Hart, scored in double figures.
Senior level guard Jahmir Younger added 14 factors after not making a basket for the primary time in his profession in Maryland’s earlier outing. Patrick Emilien, beginning rather than Reese, had his best sport of the season with 10 factors, 4 rebounds and three blocks.
St. Peter’s grew to become the darling of final season’s NCAA event, advancing to the Elite Eight as a No. 15 seed. However all the starters from that run transferred in the course of the offseason, and this season’s squad entered the sport at No. 277 out of 363 Division I groups in Ken Pomeroy’s analytics-based rankings. This sport nonetheless gave a Maryland group that was worn down per week in the past a chance to get again on monitor earlier than tougher opponents return to the slate.
Right here’s what else to find out about Maryland’s win:
Earlier this month, Willard stated he’s “not an enormous shake-up man” when requested concerning the continuity of his beginning lineup. He praised the group for enjoying onerous and its connectedness on protection. However towards the Peacocks, Willard tweaked his lineup for the primary time this season — one change out of necessity and one other by selection.
Emilien took the place of the injured Reese. Ian Martinez, a junior guard who joined the group earlier than final season, notched his second begin as a Terp, and common starter Don Carey got here in off the bench. Willard stated he wished to tinker with the items to keep away from a drop-off after he makes his first substitutions. He wished Carey, quite than Martinez, to play alongside backup level guard Jahari Lengthy.
Martinez, a pesky defender, stated his job is to deliver power that helps the group keep away from a gradual begin. In opposition to St. Peter’s, he scored 4 factors within the first 4 minutes and completed with seven in 21 minutes.
Carey had shot a minimum of 36.4 % from three-point vary in every of the earlier 4 seasons at different colleges, however he has struggled in his first season at Maryland. Carey began the primary 11 video games, tallying 7.2 factors per outing and taking pictures 24.2 % from deep.
He entered the sport towards the Peacocks after the primary media timeout and missed 5 three-pointers earlier than connecting on his sixth attempt. Carey ended with 5 factors and a team-high eight rebounds in 19 minutes.
Reese didn’t play in the course of the second half of Maryland’s earlier sport towards UCLA due to a shoulder harm. On the time, Willard stated he didn’t imagine the harm to be critical and stated Reese sat out for precautionary causes. Eight days later, Reese didn’t gown out for the sport towards the Peacocks.
Requested about Reese’s standing Thursday evening, Willard stated, “I don’t discuss accidents.”
Emilien, a 6-foot-7 switch from St. Francis (N.Y.), has been Reese’s main backup this season and performed nicely in his expanded function towards St. Peter’s. Emilien has handled minor accidents this season — a sprained ankle after which a sprained toe. Willard known as him a “strolling Band-Support” however added: “When he’s in rhythm and constant, he’s been actually good all 12 months.”
St. Peter’s lacks dimension, so Reese’s absence was much less worrisome than it will have been in Massive Ten play. Nonetheless, the Peacocks had a 38-30 rebounding edge, an issue that was significantly pronounced early. On the 11:19 mark within the first half, St. Peter’s was outrebounding Maryland 10-2. On a possession throughout that stretch, the Peacocks had 4 missed photographs whereas persevering with to seize offensive rebounds earlier than capitalizing with a made leap shot.
St. Peter’s completed with 17 offensive boards for 14 second-chance factors.
The Terps have one other nonconference sport towards Maryland Baltimore County earlier than they dive into the majority of their convention video games. In these matchups, starting with a Jan. 1 sport towards Michigan and standout middle Hunter Dickinson, the Terps will want an enormous man who is usually a drive within the paint.