A Slow and Steady First Half Brings a Win to the Terps
Julian Reese held a stat line of 19 points, 15 rebounds, 4 blocks. 5-7 on the free throw line. He had his 10th career double-double. (University of Maryland Athletics)
The Terps finally came back to the Xfinity Center and dominated in Saturday evening's match-up against the South Alabama Jaguars. The Terps took control of the ball game in the second half in a 68-55 win. The win kept the 14 home game win streak alive.
How it Happened
Isiah Gaiter drained a three to open the scoring drive for South Alabama but Jahmir Young answered with a three of his own almost two minutes later to get the ball rolling for Maryland. From there, the Terps struggled to gain momentum against South Alabama’s tough zone defense. They finished the first half shooting less than 20% from behind the arch and went 11-28 overall on field goals.
“We’re not able to get out of our own heads but scoring and getting into the press helps you relax because you don’t have a lot of time to think,” said head coach Kevin Willard, “I hate to say but I do have a group of smart guys… sometimes that hurts a little bit when they’re really smart, thinking about things instead of not being able to think about things.”
Willard added that he has full confidence in his team and knows they can shoot the ball. That confidence from the coaching staff to the players carried into the second half when the Terps came out of the locker room ready to play a better half. The story to that was junior Julian Reese who ended the first half with just four points but added 15 more to his stat line to end the night with 19 points. He also had 15 rebounds and 4 blocks on the night.
Donta Scott, 19 points, 7 rebounds. (University of Maryland Athletics)
Only three other Terps were able to score on the night. Donta Scott, also with 19 points, Jordan Geronimo with 14 points and Jahmir Young with 16 points. Freshman stand-out Deshawn Harris-Smith struggled to score all night but was able to dish out five assists to help his team to a victory.
Scott and Geronimo spoke about the trust that the coaching staff has in the team and the confidence that the players have in each other. Geronimo specifically talked about making more hustle plays and maintaining that competitive edge when it comes to playing better in the upcoming games.
The Terps will take on Rider in the Xfinity Center on Nov. 28 at 7 p.m.
Other Notables
Jahmir Young was honored for reaching a 2,000 career points milestone against Davidson. He is the second player in NCAA history to reach 1,000 points at two different schools.
Kevin Willard is six games away from having his 300th career win.
This was the first meeting between these two teams. The last time South Alabama matched up with a Big Ten school was in 1980. The Jags are 1-6 against Big Ten Opponents. Last victory was in 1980 against #7 Ohio State, 76-67.