Maryland
Takeaways from Maryland men’s basketball’s 79-61 win over No. 22 UCLA
Searching for its first ranked win of the 2024-25 campaign, Maryland men’s basketball had the opportunity to erase its demons from a dismal 87-60 loss against UCLA at home in 2022.
The Terps did just that, cranking up the intensity in the second half against the No. 22 Bruins to prevail at Xfinity Center, 79-61.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie’s first-half effort was spectacular
The reason Maryland led UCLA at the half — let alone was in the game — was because Ja’Kobi Gillespie took it upon himself to propel the Terps’ offense.
Gillespie had an overall pedestrian West Coast road trip, scoring a season-low one point against Washington before notching 16 against No. 9 Oregon. But the ever-aggressive guard matched his scoring output against the Ducks at home versus UCLA — in just 20 minutes of play.
Gillespie was once again Maryland’s primary ball handler, and assumed much of the shot-making duties in the opening half. He had 10 attempts from the field, double that of the next closest player, Derik Queen. While the Terps were keen on trying to find their bigs for buckets inside early — they had 20 paint points in the first half compared to the Bruins’ 14 — eventually, the visitors put an emphasis on their interior defense.
Gillespie was the main benefactor, becoming increasingly ball-dominant and continuously running pick-and-rolls at the top of the 3-point line. When UCLA rolled out its drop coverage in an attempt to stifle Maryland’s inside attack, Gillespie let it fly from deep. He went 4-of-8 from downtown on the evening.
His defensive impact was also evident. Gillespie accumulated four steals on the night, including two in the second half to help Maryland pull away with quick fast-break points.
The 6-foot-1 junior had an overall quieter second half, but grabbed a huge offensive rebound and drilled a 3-pointer in succession with four minutes remaining, effectively throwing the knockout punch. He finished with a game-high 27 points to go with two rebounds and four assists.
Maryland’s defense turned it up in the second half
Maryland’s offense was by no means on fire in the second half. It picked up its scoring effort in the latter minutes, but it scored just 20 points in the first 15 minutes of the frame. It was the Terps’ defense that helped shut down any hope of a UCLA victory.
In the middle portion of the frame, the Bruins went more than four minutes without scoring a field goal, missing seven consecutive field goals. That wasn’t a product of poor offense, but rather the Terps’ airtight coverage.
For a team averaging just around 11 turnovers per game, Friday was a complete nightmare for the Bruins, who committed 21 — 10 of which came in the second half. The Terps turned those 10 turnovers into 12 points of their own.
Maryland also had six second-half steals and four blocks, while UCLA had no second-half rejections. One of the Terps’ blocks was an emphatic Julian Reese swat on Bruins star Tyler Bilodeau, sending the crowd into a frenzy and injecting the team with life.
One of the reasons for Maryland’s increased defensive presence was head coach Kevin Willard’s insertion of interior size. Tafara Gapare played an impressive 14 minutes, blocking two shots of his own and helping force UCLA into perimeter shots. The Bruins went 7-of-19 from downtown on the night.
A much-needed ranked victory
Heading into the match, Maryland was No. 24 in the KenPom net rankings. It has been teetering on the precipice of being ranked for the past few weeks. But it has also been missing something important in its resume: a signature ranked win.
It came close against then-No. 15 Marquette, then-No. 8 Purdue and then-No. 9 Oregon, but late miscues and missed chances plagued the Terps in each contest.
It didn’t take a close finish to decide Maryland’s fate Friday. The home Terps had the game in hand during most of the latter portion of the second half.
It wasn’t just Maryland’s defense that propelled it to a sizable lead. It was partially due to UCLA head coach Mick Cronin being ejected from the game, granting the Terps four free throws and igniting the crowd.
Reese also helped Maryland pull away, scoring 10 second half points on 5-of-6 shooting. As of recent, he has put on far more prolific performances than he had been early in the season.
Friday night was Maryland’s first ranked win since Jan. 14, 2024, when it beat No. 14 Illinois. The Terps will have another opportunity to defeat a ranked Fighting Illini team — currently No. 13 — on Jan. 23.
SEVERN, Md. (WBFF) — A scratch-off ticket sold in Severn turned one Maryland Lottery player into a millionaire, leading a week in which the Lottery paid out more than $31.8 million in prizes statewide.
Maryland Lottery and Gaming said it paid more than $31.8 million in prizes from Feb. 23 through March 1, including 36 tickets worth $10,000 or more.
The top scratch-off prize claimed during that period was a $1 million winning $1,000,000 Crossword ticket sold at the Walmart at 407 George Clauss Boulevard in Severn. Another top winner was a $100,000 Red 5’s Doubler ticket sold at the Carroll Motor Fuel station at 2535 Cleanleigh Drive in Parkville.
Other scratch-off prizes claimed Feb. 23 through March 1 included two $50,000 winners: a 200X the Cash ticket sold at the Wawa at 7501 Pulaski Highway in Rosedale, and a $5,000,000 Luxe ticket sold at the Spring Hill Lake Mini Market at 9240 Spring Hill Lane in Greenbelt. A $30,000 Diamond Bingo 6th Edition ticket was sold at Tempo Lounge at 402 Back River Neck Road in Essex.
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The Lottery also reported three $20,000 scratch-off winners, all on $1,000,000 Crossword tickets sold at Geresbeck’s Food Market at 8489 Fort Smallwood Road in Pasadena; Hillandale Beer and Wine at 10117 New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring; and Paddock Wine and Spirits at 7627 Woodbine Road in Woodbine.
The Lottery reminded players to sign the backs of tickets and keep winning tickets in a safe location.
The Lottery said the last dates to claim scratch-off tickets are posted on the scratch-offs page at mdlottery.com.
More information is available at mdlottery.com.
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For confidential help or information about gambling problems, visit helpmygamblingproblem.org or call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Advocacy groups are raising concerns over a warehouse in Washington County that is slated to become an Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility after dozens of black SUVs were moved to the warehouse’s parking lot on Sunday.
“When federal enforcement vehicles begin lining the warehouse lot, it sends a clear message about what’s taking shape in our community,” said the organizer of Hagerstown Rapid Response, Claire Connor. “We refuse to let ICE quietly plant roots in Washington County without transparency, accountability and community consent.”
The 825,620-square-foot warehouse is located at 16220 Wright Road in Williamsport. Access to the facility was blocked by orange traffic barriers and signs outlining regulations and “governing conduct on federal property” with the Department of Homeland Security emblem at the top of the page.
In late January, Washington County issued a news release stating that on Jan. 14, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent a letter to the county’s historic district commission and department of planning and zoning regarding the property.
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Read the full story on the Baltimore Sun’s website.
COLUMBIA, Md. (WBFF) — An adult man was killed in a police-involved shooting in Columbia early Sunday, prompting an investigation by the Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division.
Howard County police said officers were called on March 1, at about 12:09 a.m., to an apartment building in the 6400 block of Freetown Road for a report that involved an adult male threatening to harm himself.
According to police, at about 12:22 a.m., officers encountered the man outside the building. The man approached officers while holding a knife and ignored commands to drop the weapon, police said. Officers then shot the man.
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Officers attempted life-saving measures, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Officersrecovered a knife near the man.
No officers were injured, and the officers were equipped with body-worn cameras.
The Independent Investigations Division is investigating.
Anyone with information about this incident, including cell phone or private surveillance video, is asked to contact the IID at (410) 576–7070 or by email atIID@oag.maryland.gov.
The IID willgenerally releasethe name of the decedent and any involved officers within two business days of the incident, although that period may be extended, if necessary,pursuant toIID protocol.
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TheIID willgenerally releasebody-worn camera footage within 20 business days of an incident. There may be situations where more than 20 days is necessary, including if investigators need more time to complete witness interviews, if there are technical delays caused by the need to shield the identities of civilian witnesses, or to allow family members to view the video before it is released to the public.
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