Maryland started hot and fought through a first half lull to cruise to a win over Florida A&M on Monday night, 84-53.
Maryland led by as many as 39 points as Julian Reese led the way with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, one of five Terps who finished in double figures. The 31-point win marked the third consecutive 30-plus point win to open the season, the first time in program history.
Maryland jumped out to a quick 15-0 lead after the offense opened in stride and the defense forced a pair of ten-second violations along with a steal in just the first three minutes. Derik Queen played a big part in that fast start, opening with the game’s first three points before assisting Selton Miguel on a near full-court pass for an and-one.
Then the offense fell cold after scoring just two points over the next five minutes, allowing FAMU to trim the lead to as little as five before a pair of buckets from Julian Reese gave Maryland a bit more breathing room. The offensive lull would eventually fade, though, as Maryland shot 47.6% from the field in the win.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie, the last starter to score, dropped a three coming out of the final media timeout of the first half to give Maryland its double-digit lead back as the offense shot 6-of-7 from the field over the final 3:53 of the first half to take a 40-21 lead into the break.
Willard turned to Jordan Geronimo to replace Derik Queen in the starting five to begin the half as Maryland opened on a 10-0 run, stretching the lead to 26 before the Rattlers got back on the scoreboard. That would prove to be a rare sight, though, as the Terps’ run continued after outscoring FAMU 21-4 through the opening six minutes to push the lead above 30.
As Maryland’s lead approached 40, Maryland flipped to a 2-3 zone as head coach Kevin Willard dialed in on the defensive end heading into the first Quad One game of the season.
Maryland returns to action on Friday night to host 15th-ranked Marquette with tipoff set for 8 PM.
Related Links