Maryland men’s basketball fell to 0-2 on its West Coast swing and 11-4 (1-3) on the season after falling against ninth-ranked Oregon, 83-79, on Sunday afternoon.
Rodney Rice led the way for Maryland with 19 points in the loss, his tenth game in double figures this season. Ja'Kobi Gillespie added 16 points while Derik Queen added 17 points to finish in double figures for the 12th consecutive game.
Rodney Rice and Selton Miguel gave the Terps’ offense a spark to open in Eugene, knocking down threes on consecutive possessions to give Maryland a lead they’d hold onto through the first half.
The Ducks were able to counter Maryland’s early scoring after knocking down five of their first seven shots to keep it a one possession game through the game's first media timeout, but that wouldn't last long.
After the two teams traded threes, Maryland would go on an 8-0 run to capture their first double-digit lead of the game. That lead grew to as many as 13 points after Selton Miguel completed a three-point play with ten minutes left in the half, but the Ducks' offense would come alive. An 11-2 run by Oregon cut the Terps lead back to two as Jackson Shelstad accounted for eight of those points.
Still, Maryland clung onto its then-narrow lead before Jay Young three and DeShawn Harris-Smith jumper gave the Terps more breathing room in a 43-35 contest. An Oregon three with 36 seconds left in the half cut Maryland's lead in half, sending the Terps to the locker room with a 45-42 lead.
Julian Reese would open the second half scoring on a dunk off the pick-and-roll with Rice, but Oregon’s outside shooting touch would take over as the Ducks put together a quick 8-0 run and Bittle’s triple gave the Ducks a 50-47 lead – their first of the day. Oregon extended that run to 14 straight points, taking a 56-47 lead, prompting head coach Kevin Willard to call timeout.
But the Terps would answer back and a four-point play from Rodney Rice would spark the next run after cutting Oregon’s lead in half. After Gillespie and TJ Bamba traded buckets to keep it a four-point game, Gillespie and Queen teamed up for a 7-0 run to push Maryland back ahead, 69-66 ahead of the under-eight media timeout. A pair of free throws from Queen pushed the Terps’ lead to four, but that vanished less than two minutes later. And so did Maryland’s offense.
Maryland would score just two field goals over the final 7:54 in regulation with one of the two made shots coming from Derik Queen with three seconds remaining.
The other was Gillespie’s triple with 4:54 remaining to push Maryland ahead, 74-72, in what proved to be the final lead for Maryland on the day as the Ducks responded with a 9-2 run.
Next: Maryland will host 22nd-ranked UCLA on Friday, Jan. 10 for an 8 PM tipoff.
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