Facing a 22-point deficit in the first half against No. 8 Alabama, Maryland men’s basketball found a spark through an unlikely hero in Aleks Alston. He was the drive behind a seven-point run, Maryland’s
longest of the night, as the Terps looked to avoid deja vu the night after a 39-point defeat to No. 12 Gonzaga.
As quickly as it started, though, the run was over.
Myles Rice missed a layup short, giving the Tide a transition opportunity. They ran down the middle of the court, and Aden Holloway got the ball in the corner in front of Maryland’s bench. He pumped, baiting Isaiah Watts, before driving along the baseline.
Andre Mills switched up to contest under the basket, and Rice floated into the middle of the court — but Maryland’s other three defenders were already on the bench side of the court, leaving two Alabama players wide open on the far side. Holloway opted for freshman guard Davion Hannah, who sank the second shot of his career to snap Maryland’s run and deflate the Terps.
The night before Thanksgiving turkeys hit the tables in College Park, it was Maryland’s defense that got carved apart. The Terps were stuffed by the Tide, 105-72, leaving the Players Era tournament without much to be thankful for.
Maryland won the opening tipoff, but a quick turnover from Diggy Coit led to a dunk from Labaron Philon Jr. just 16 seconds into the game, setting the tone for what was to come.
Much of Alabama’s early pressure came in those transition moments. The Tide hit Maryland in waves, beating the Terps both inside and out to score 15 points in the first four minutes.
Coit bounced back from his early mistake, getting involved much earlier than he did in Tuesday’s blowout. His two baskets got Maryland started, and a 3-pointer from Darius Adams got the Terps back within single digits following a slow start.
But the disparity between the two teams became evident from beyond the arc, where Alabama was lethal. Maryland’s help defense in the paint led to consistent switching, with the Terps chasing ghosts. The Tide hit nine of their 20 first-half attempts from deep, with several of the shots uncontested after excellent ball movement.
Maryland was consistently able to draw up plays following timeouts — eight minutes in, it schemed a one-on-one look for Payne, who was able to get his first bucket of the game. Outside of that, though, Maryland’s first-half shot creation was scarce.
With the score 39-17 Alabama just 13:34 into the game, Alston made a block to stymie an Alabama run. The 6-foot-10 forward, nicknamed the Serbian Sniper, drilled a 3-pointer 40 seconds later. His steal on the very next play set Maryland up for another possession, which Andre Mills converted. It was Maryland’s most concentrated resistance of the half.
Changes at halftime left the team looking more controlled. Coit sat for the first 10 minutes — curiously, not next to his teammates on the bench, but next to head coach Buzz Williams. Myles Rice was out, too, and didn’t touch the court in the second half. It was a decision that seemed to pay off.
The opening lineup of Guillermo Del Pino, Adams, Mills, Alston and Payne played the best defense Maryland showed in the tournament. And with all five players seemingly playing in their natural positions, Maryland’s offense finally found some flow.
Despite everything it tried, however, the lead Alabama built in the first half proved insurmountable. The Terps got the lead down to 16 with 16:46 remaining, but the Tide did just enough to maintain their cushion, with the end result a formality throughout the second half.
With the clock continuing to run, Alabama adjusted and found more offensive success against a new-look Maryland defense. It was a balanced attack that sunk the Terps — eight players scored at least nine points.
Three things to know
1. Maryland bullied on the boards. Much of Alabama’s early success came down to second-chance opportunities — the Tide finished with 11 offensive rebounds to Maryland’s 17 defensive rebounds. Pharrel Payne, normally Maryland’s first, second and third rebounding option, had a difficult time against Alabama’s bigs, finishing with four boards. That came even with the Tide’s leading rebounder, Keitenn Bristow, a late injury scratch.
2. Free throws off the table. Alabama entered the game allowing an average of 25.6 free throws per game, one of the higher marks in Division I. But the Terps got to the line just 11 times, making only seven.
3. Time to rest. The Terps have six days to recover before their next game, which comes Dec. 2 at home against Wagner. That break could be crucial for Maryland, which had forward Solomon Washington close to returning in Las Vegas and is likely exhausted after three games in three days.
