The Terps embarked on 15-3 and 15-5 runs to open both halves.
No. 20 Maryland men’s basketball may have not been able to write a better start to its tilt against USC if it were crafting a fantasy novel.
The Terps scored 11 points before USC even notched one. Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Selton Miguel rattled off 3-pointers in succession, forcing USC head coach Eric Musselman to call a timeout just two possessions into the contest.
If Xfinity Center’s student section attendance wasn’t at maximum capacity, you certainly couldn’t tell from its noise level at that juncture. It very well could have been as boisterous as it has been all year.
“I think we did a great job of feeding off the energy,” Derik Queen said. “[The fans] got loud every time we made a shot and we went on a run.”
Maryland rode this early momentum to a 88-71 victory, its fourth consecutive win and eighth in its last nine outings.
Given its scorching-hot start, the Terps naturally cooled off during the middle of the first frame. USC’s Wesley Yates III picked up steam, scoring 11 first-half points without ever leaving the court. He finished with a team-high 21 points.
Meanwhile, Willard experimented with some unorthodox lineups, including one that included bench players Tafara Gapare, Jay Young and DeShawn Harris-Smith simultaneously.
Though the Trojans knocked on the door a few times, Maryland never let its lead dip below three points in the opening half. And while both teams shot below 40% from the field through 20 minutes, the Terps led by 10 points at the break. Their 4-2 3-point advantage and 7-1 free-throw disparity helped maintain the advantage.
Maryland’s performance to start the second half somehow almost outdid its first. In fact, it nearly put away the game for good. Similarly to their second-half surge against Iowa Sunday, the Terps embarked on a 15-5 run to open the period. Threes by Rice and Gillespie combined with two electric blocks from Julian Reese resulted in pandemonium throughout Xfinity Center.
“I think what’s really the best thing about Rodney is he’s fun to coach,” head coach Kevin Willard said. “He’s a great competitor.”
Having built a 20-point margin, Maryland began to slip just a bit as the half droned on. Musselman inserted Clark Slajchert to provide a spark plug on offense, and the skinny 6-foot-1 guard did just that. He drained three triples during his time on the court to cut the Terps’ lead down to just six points with 11 minutes to play.
But as has been the trend lately, Maryland responded down the stretch.
Buckets and free throws from Queen, as well as another clutch three from Gillespie, turned a six-point lead into 14 points in just four minutes.
“I think [Gillespie’s] comfortable in the offense,” Willard said. “I think he’s just kind of much, much more confident what he can do, and he’s much more confident going into games.”
Rarely rattled, the Terps’ newcomers played like experienced Big Ten veterans, and that’s what the team will continue to need as the season wanes and marquee matchups loom.
Three things to know
1. The guards were the stars. Queen took a backseat to the combination of Gillespie and Rice Thursday. The backcourt scored a combined 42 points, while tallying a combined six assists, and were a plus-38.
2. Little bench production once more. It’s been made clear that Maryland will rely on its starters for the bulk of its scoring. Still, just three points from the reserves — two from Jordan Geronimo and one from Gapare — is far from desirable.
3. Looking ahead. With the win, Maryland now has an 11-5 conference record and sits in fourth place in the Big Ten. Next week’s matchup against No. 14 Michigan State — who sits in second place in the conference — is perhaps the most important one of the campaign.