Maryland
Takeaways from Maryland men’s basketball’s 96-58 win over Alcorn State
Before heading into conference play, Maryland men’s basketball racked up another dominant nonconference win Sunday, beating Alcorn State, 96-58, at Xfinity Center.
The Terps were stuck in a first-half battle before ultimately pulling away for good. The Terps, led by balanced scoring attack, now enter Big Ten play 7-1.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
A close start
The game was tied at 20 apiece with 8:42 left in the first half. For nearly the first 12 minutes of play, Alcorn State more than held their own against Maryland.
The Terps shot poorly, starting just 1-of-6 from deep. The majority of their success came in the paint, as Julian Reese and Derik Queen continued their dominance against smaller defenders. Both scored quick buckets inside and worked well off one another as their chemistry continues to improve.
But other than that, Maryland’s offense was limited in comparison to its other starts against similar competition. Its flow of offense was so stale that free throws were desperately needed to add to its point total — which Reese and Queen contributed to.
Meanwhile, Alcorn State was hot from the field, sinking a pair of 3-pointers and pacing the game on the offensive side of the ball. Unlike some prior matchups, head coach Kevin Willard was not initially as bullish on implementing a full-court press, which gave the Braves time to set up their offense.
Alcorn State’s early ball movement was impressive, too, as its sets created confusion on the Terps’ interior and manufactured room for its shooters. But its buckets weren’t just the product of stellar shooting. The Braves made six layups in that first-half span, showcasing their ability to handle the Terps’ size.
Maryland came alive to end the opening half
The Terps finished the first half on a staggering 25-4 run. After going 1-of-6 from 3-point range to start, it followed up with a 4-of-5 stretch.
But it was the team’s defense that led to the proficient offensive output.
Willard started bringing more pressure directly off inbounds plays, which sped up Alcorn State. As a result, the sloppy plays started to pile up, and Maryland became the beneficiary. Suddenly, the Braves didn’t have any momentum on the offensive side of the ball.
After the 8:42 mark of the first half until the end of the frame, Maryland took the ball away only two times, but the way the Terps exploded after gaining possession was crucial. They garnered nine fast break points in the frame, with point guards and bigs alike running the length of the floor.
This speed opened up a bevy of open shot opportunities in transition, which the Terps’ best shooters — namely Rodney Rice and Ja’Kobi Gillespie — had no trouble knocking down.
A balanced scoring attack
Five different players scored in double digits for Maryland Sunday afternoon.
Rice (12), Queen (20), Reese (14), Miguel (14) and DeShawn Harris-Smith (10) all had solid offensive performances and contributed in different facets of the contest.
Miguel and Reese who got things started for the Terps, with Reese knocking down a pair of free throws and Miguel sinking a 3-pointer. Miguel has been impressive as of late, hitting a number of shots and being far more aggressive around the rim. He offers an inside-outside punch, keeping defenses guessing as a sizable guard who can do a little bit of everything.
Harris-Smith’s day was perhaps most encouraging for Terps fans and Willard. He struggled over the Terps’ first seven games, averaging about four points per contest. But his 10 points on 60% percent shooting was a welcome sight.
In other games, he had often deferred the ball, choosing to pass out of open looks or dump off to bigs in the paint. But on Sunday, he was looking for the ball in the restricted area, even making some nice cuts to the rim. He also made a 3-pointer, which bodes well for his confidence going forward.
Maryland schools made nation-leading strides in their recovery from students’ learning loss in the pandemic, data show.
Maryland schools made nation-leading strides in their recovery from students’ learning loss in the pandemic, according to new data.
They ranked third in the nation in their students’ reading recovery rates, and were fifth in math recovery, according to the 2025 Education Scorecard from Harvard and Stanford Universities and Dartmouth College.
D.C. led the U.S. in math and reading recovery.
The data was presented at the Maryland State Board of Education meeting Thursday.
Trish Brennan-Gac, executive director of literacy nonprofit Maryland READS, said the state board is correct to celebrate gains in reading, but proficiency is “nowhere near where we need to be.”
“It is not that we are No. 3-ranked in reading proficiency,” she told WTOP. “It’s a rate of change, and we are making a faster rate of change,” than most school districts nationally.
Brennan-Gac was at the meeting to ask that the state board consider ways to reduce the use of technology in classroom instruction and support a return to print and textbooks in schools.
“This is no longer a fringe concern. It is a growing movement, and it’s not about social media and phones,” she told the board.
Brennan-Gac said the board and Maryland schools superintendent Carey Wright can take a “visible meaningful leadership role.”
“You can develop transition guidance and funding pathways for districts that are ready to move now, and send a clear signal to the field that Maryland prioritizes developmentally appropriate instruction aligned to brain research that shows how books, not tech-based platforms, are effective in wiring kids’ brains for reading,” she said.
The Maryland State Department of Education has issued guidance to school districts on the use of cellphones in schools, and this year issued guidance on the use of artificial intelligence. In both instances, the state has made clear that it leaves implementation of policies to individual school districts.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
Gov. Wes Moore has requested a federal disaster declaration to help farmers recover from their losses after temperatures dipped into the 20s in April, devastating some of Maryland’s agriculture industry.
Temperatures dipped into the low to mid 20s for several hours, causing widespread damage to crops, wine grapes, berries, peaches and apples in some parts of the state.
“We had 6, 7 hours I believe here under 32 and that’s just a lot of stress on those small fruits and buds,” said Ben Butler, the farm manager of Butler’s Orchard in Germantown back in April.
Moore asked for the U.S. agriculture secretary to declare a federal disaster using Maryland Farm Service Agency data to back up the request. According to the agency, there were historic losses, including 94% of the apple crop, 99% of the peach crop and 98% of the barley in several jurisdictions.
The Maryland Wineries Association says 36% of grape acreage sustained total losses, with a $24.4 million projected deficit in wine sales for the 2026 vintage.
“For the majority of the varieties, the yield, the 2026 crop yield, will essentially be zero,” said Robert Butz, the owner of Windridge Vineyards.
The hours-long deep freeze in April left grapes at Windridge Vineyards in Germantown dead on the vine.
News4 visited Windridge Vineyards just a few days after the disaster. Butz said not only were there grape losses, some of the vines were damaged as well. He called the devastation “catastrophic.”
It’s challenging, but he said he’s pleased with the support being given to local farmers and the disaster declaration request.
“This announcement by the governor is further evidence of that, right,” Butz said. “Marylanders care about their farmers. That’s great.It’s incredibly gratifying for those who do this work.”
Moore is asking the agriculture secretary for a quick decision so emergency loans and relief programs are made available right away so farmers can prepare for the next growing season.
-
News26 minutes agoPride celebrations struggle as corporate sponsorships dry up
-
Los Angeles, Ca2 hours agoMan stabbed to death after violent dog attack on Hollywood Walk of Fame
-
Detroit, MI2 hours ago
Black Legacy Day to be celebrated May 30th in Detroit
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoA 1906 fire burned 200,000 books. More than a century later, one was returned | CNN
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoCowboys news: More moves that Dallas could make this offseason
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoHere’s a guide to the seven World Cup teams (and their fans) headed to Miami | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoStormy Saturday, slightly sunnier Sunday – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News
-
Denver, CO3 hours agoStorm threat for northeastern Colorado Saturday; sunny and warmer Sunday
