With just over 12 minutes left in the contest against Marquette, Maryland men’s basketball’s Pharrel Payne drove in for an extremely routine but powerful dunk. But his landing was far from routine.
The
senior hit the court painfully, accidentally falling into a splits position and yelling in pain while grabbing his right hip. Payne was carried out on a stretcher, and the Terps were left without the star for the rest of the game — and possibly for the foreseeable future.
But without the big man, Maryland’s play was inspired and infectious. It stormed back from a second-half eight-point deficit, defeating the Golden Eagles, 89-82.
The contest was head coach Buzz Williams’ first game back in Milwaukee since being at the helm of Marquette from 2008-14.
It was quite the turnaround from Maryland’s contest against Alcorn State Tuesday, in which the Terps shot just 8-of-28 from 3-point range. Saturday’s action opened with Maryland a red-hot 4-of-4 from downtown.
Diggy Coit was especially aggressive and had ample space beyond the arc from which to shoot. He confidently stepped into his three early 3-pointers, cashing in on all of them.
Though Maryland built a 16-7 lead just five minutes into the action, Marquette’s size and relentless offensive rebounding effort earned it some second-chance opportunities and free throws.
Payne’s continued aggressiveness paid dividends. His prowess both around the cup and on drives sent Caedin Hamilton to the bench early with two fouls. It also opened up more opportunities for other shooters; Isaiah Watts hit his first two 3-pointers after struggling to start the season.
Marquette went a dismal 1-of-9 from 3-point range in the first nine minutes. And while Zaide Lowery began to heat up from deep for the Golden Eagles, Coit matched him stride-for-stride, hitting his fourth 3-pointers with less than 10 minutes having been played.
Payne served as the perfect complement to Maryland’s seemingly unstoppable inside-outside offense. In the first 10 minutes, he had nine points on 4-of-4 shooting. Payne finished with 13 points in 17 minutes.
Payne’s second foul kept him off the court — it came with just under nine minutes left in the half on an illegal screen. Without the big man, Maryland’s offense struggled to produce easy buckets.
Aleks Alston and Collin Metcalf simply were not effective in reserve, and the Golden Eagles put together an 11-1 run. Payne’s rebounding ability was sorely missed, and led to second-chance, momentum-shifting threes.
By the end of the half, things had only gotten worse. The Terps failed to make a field goal for nearly seven minutes down the stretch. Darius Adams finally quelled the drought, but the Terps’ once-13-point lead had completely dissipated.
At the half, things were knotted, 42-42.
But even when Payne returned to start the second half, he wasn’t infallible, getting stripped and leading to a fast-break bucket on the other end. Marquette ran the court with ease to start the frame, and it led to a quick six-point lead.
Giveaways — which have been an issue for Maryland to start the year — reared their ugly head early in the period. The Terps turned the ball over four times in the half’s first four minutes.
Chase Ross gave Marquette its largest lead of the day with 15 minutes left to play, splashing a three to put it up, 55-46. Ross had a stellar day, finishing with a career-high 31 points.
After Payne’s injury, the Terps erupted for a 6-of-8 shooting stretch. Saunders found a rhythm, hitting a key 3-pointer, and Coit’s follow-up layup put them up for the first time in the second half. The barrage only continued, as Maryland capped off a 10-0 run, courtesy of a Watts 3-pointer and Adams layup in transition.
But both offenses struggled to convert as the final five minutes crept up, with Marquette embarking on an unremarkable 2-of-18 shooting stretch. But Maryland did just enough to win late — huge, crafty buckets from Watts and Adams ultimately sealed the victory.
Three things to know
1. Offensive boards. The dichotomy between the two teams could not have been more clear. In just the first half alone, Marquette grabbed 12 offensive boards to the Terps’ zero. With Payne sitting for the final nine minutes of the opening half, Maryland struggled mightily on the glass.
2. Marquette’s shot diet. For a Maryland team that shot a significant amount of 3-pointers over its first three games, the Golden Eagles blew that number out of the water. In just the first half, Marquette attempted 24 shots from deep, and 40 on the game. Its ball movement against the Terps’ double-teams frequently led to wide open corner attempts.
3. What happens without Payne? While it’s unclear exactly what Payne’s injury is at the current moment, the Terps may be without the big man for a while. Maryland may need to rewrite its offensive philosophy, as well as rely on Metcalf and other reserves to carry more of the load.
