The Terps overcame a six-point halftime deficit.
No. 16 Maryland men’s basketball traveled to Penn State Saturday in need of an inspiring outing after its worst offensive performance of the season in a heartbreaking loss to No. 8 Michigan State.
The Terps won, but not necessarily in inspiring fashion — and not without plenty of drama down the stretch. Multiple technical fouls, long reviews and fiery sequences culminated in an off-balance, game-sealing jumper by Rodney Rice to put the Terps’ 68-64 win on ice.
Fifty-nine of Maryland’s 68 points came from Derik Queen, Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Selton Miguel. Queen was the Terps’ engine in the second half on both ends of the court, finishing with a game-high 23 points to go along with six boards, four steals and two blocks. He was assessed a questionable technical foul with 3:19 left to play that nearly turned the game’s tide, but it didn’t matter in the end.
“it just depends how [teams] play the pick and roll,” Gillespie said. “If they’re gonna focus more on me and leave Queen with the roll, I’m gonna hit him every time, and he’s gonna make something good happen. I feel like we got a good two-man connection going.”
All eyes were on the matchup up top between Gillespie and Ace Baldwin Jr., two of the Big Ten’s premier guards. Gillespie — fresh off a disappointing showing against Michigan State — was up for the challenge from the get-go, draining two 3-pointers in the opening 70 seconds and adding another two points a minute later.
Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions struggled to find their footing against the Terps’ defense. Four of their seven first-half turnovers came in the opening six minutes, and Maryland capitalized. It led by seven points less than eight minutes into the contest on the back of seven straight points by Selton Miguel.
Then, the Terps got sloppy. A 9-2 Penn State run eliminated their lead before three turnovers in four possessions allowed the Nittany Lions to jump ahead. Their only bright spot was a hot streak from Derik Queen, who finished the half with 10 points.
Things went from bad to worse, as Maryland ended the half on a 2-of-12 shooting stretch — both makes courtesy of Queen — and Penn State ran ahead to an eight-point lead.
Maryland was outshot from the field, 45.5% to 34.3%, and outrebounded, 22-18, in the first half. A 36-30 score at the break was its largest halftime deficit against a conference opponent this season. Twenty-five of the Terps’ 30 points came from Queen, Gillespie and Miguel.
Queen and Miguel stayed hot to open the final 20 minutes, recording 12 of the Terps’ first 16 second-half points. Queen and Julian Reese took over the game down low on defense, enabling them to retake the lead less than six minutes into the half.
Reese’s domination came alongside tempers flaring between him and 7-foot forward Yanic Konan Niederhauser. The pair exchanged words on consecutive possessions before Reese hooked Konan Niederhauser’s arm and pulled him to the ground out of bounds. Reese was assessed a flagrant foul.
The Nittany Lions stayed competitive, never trailing by more than six points in the second half. Maryland went over five minutes without a basket in the middle of the half, but Penn State failed to truly capitalize.
Queen and Gillespie were an unstoppable duo down the stretch, but so was Baldwin. They traded blows throughout the final five minutes, but Rice’s dagger cemented the Terps’ narrow lead.
Three things to know
1. Tumultuous game for Reese. Reese’s performance was marked with both positive and negative superlatives. He was untouchable on defense, finishing with a career-high six steals to go along with 15 rebounds and three blocks. Reese’s squabble with Konan Niederhauser ignited some energy into the Terps when they needed it.
“Julian Reese won this game. I mean, it’s not even close,” head coach Kevin Willard said.
But on the other end, Reese’s shots didn’t fall. He continuously took advantage of good looks, but his attempts repeatedly bounced out of the cup. Reese finished with just four points for a second straight game, on 2-of-10 shooting.
2. Queen’s mismatch was a game-changer. Queen’s standout talent has been evident all year, and he didn’t look one bit like a freshman Saturday. But part of that success came because of Penn State’s lack of size down low. Konan Niederhauser covered Reese all game, leaving 6-foot-8 Zach Hicks to handle Queen. That wasn’t a matchup Hicks could handle — Queen had his number all afternoon, topped off by a thunderous poster dunk in the closing minutes.
“I got on Derek [and said] ‘it’s time to be physical,’” Willard said. “Sometimes he tries to show his skills, but he was physical tonight, and that was the difference too.”
3. Maryland’s first win at Bryce Jordan Center since 2015. The Terps entered the contest with just one win at Penn State since joining the Big Ten. While Penn State looked far less outmatched than it should have on paper, Maryland’s seven-game losing streak at Bryce Jordan Center came to a close Saturday.