Entering a season full of unknowns, Maryland men’s basketball had plenty of early-season questions to answer. One of them was how well the team would finish games and respond to adversity as a completely
fresh group of faces.
Against Coppin State Monday, the Terps passed their first test, but not without some scares. Despite struggling to put the ball in the hoop to begin the second half — the Eagles’ deficit crept into single-digit points multiple times — Maryland’s close to the night was about as good as head coach Buzz Williams could have hoped for.
The Terps embarked on a 14-0 scoring run down the stretch, silencing the Eagles in a convincing 83-61 victory.
Maryland’s early shooting stroke was on point, with multiple players comfortable pulling up from deep range. Each of the Terps’ first three triples came from a different player: Andre Mills, Isaiah Watts and Elijah Saunders.
Saunders’ willingness to shoot could become a valuable asset over the course of the season as a stretch four, and a strong complement to Pharrel Payne’s inside presence.
On that note, it took Payne some time to get into the flow of things. In contrast to the UMBC exhibition, where Payne was the beneficiary of designed paint touches, Maryland’s offense operated more smoothly in transition Monday. The Terps’ three early steals led to six fast-break points, extending their lead to 20-6 nearly halfway through the opening half.
Maryland’s team speed only continued to overwhelm the Eagles. Diggy Coit and Darius Adams’ downhill speed was unmatched by Coppin State, leading to two quick shooting fouls and four made free throws.
But it was Mills who seized the spotlight early. He drained two 3-pointers and had a monster stuff at the rim on a Coppin State dunk attempt — all in the first 11 minutes. He offers Williams enough size and athleticism to consistently play the three, and his versatility on offense was encouraging.
Mills finished with 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting to go along with six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
The Eagles ended the half on a strong note, hitting five of their final six field goals. But a few strong Adams takes and a Coit triple kept Coppin State at bay. The Terps led 47-32 after 20 minutes.
A Khali Horton 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock opened a 5-2 run to start the second half for Coppin State. Shortly after, Horton was fouled on another attempt from deep — he sank all three free throws to bring the Eagles within 10.
Meanwhile, Maryland’s offense was sloppy, turning the ball over twice within the first four minutes and failing to find its rhythm. Three free throws accounted for its only points during that span. Payne was on the receiving end of a few hard fouls around the cup, but he made his presence felt in the process with two offensive rebounds.
The Terps didn’t sink their first field goal of the half until the 13:40 mark. It started 0-of-5, while Coppin State’s dribble-handoff, smooth-screening offense yielded two threes and five field goals in the same span.
Adams was one of the few Maryland players to adeptly create his own offense, drawing pump-fake shooting fouls and euro-stepping through the lane. His foul awareness and high-end body control is a rare trait, and he should be an asset throughout the season.
But the latter portion of the second half treated the Terps better. A 12-2 run, in tandem with a four-minute field goal drought for Coppin State, gave Maryland an 18-point advantage with seven minutes left. Payne’s dominance coincided with the onslaught.
The big man saw countless doubles in the post but finished through contact regardless. In the second half alone, he racked up 15 points on 4-of-5 shooting, and went 7-of-7 from the charity stripe.
The Terps held the Eagles to just 9-of-26 second half shooting. That’s positive defensive momentum they’ll want to take into Friday’s clash with Georgetown.
Three things to know
1. Familiar starting five. While Watts and Coit were available to play for the Terps Monday, Williams elected to stick with the same starting five that he deployed against UMBC. Freshmen Guillermo Del Pino and Darius Adams saw 13 and 24 minutes, respectively.
That particular lineup saw barely any action together, but it speaks to Williams’ clear intention to experiment with various groupings early in the season. In just the first half, 10 different players saw the court for Maryland.
2. Three heavy. Against UMBC, Maryland attempted 15 3-pointers all game, and made just five. In just the first half against the Eagles, the Terps went 8-of-17 from downtown. They made 10 on the evening, with Coit and Mills leading the way with three apiece.
3. Five players in double digits. Even though he led the team with 21 points, Payne did not dominate Maryland’s offense Monday — contrary to some expectations heading into the season. Instead, each of Adams, Mills, Coit, Saunders and Payne finished with at least 13 points.
