Terps turn Charm City into Lob City — and run away from Princeton, 82-61
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Version 0 of 1. BALTIMORE — Maryland’s bench looked perplexed after Princeton took a six-point lead late in the first half Saturday night, so Mark Turgeon called a timeout and went back to the drawing board. Playing for the first time in Baltimore since 1999 against a sneaky-good Ivy League opponent, Turgeon was forced to improvise against the Tigers’ 3-2 zone, which Princeton hadn’t deployed all season. But the timeout, while giving Maryland a chance to switch personnel and play small-ball, extended beyond the schematics of the No. 6 Terrapins’ 82-61 win. It also rebooted the Terrapins’ spirit and sparked a 16-2 run that gave 11,076 at Royal Farms Arena a glimpse of just how special this team could be. Maryland rolled after that, entering a seven-day holiday break with surging morale as Big Ten play approaches. Maryland (10-1) had five players in double figures, including senior forward Jake Layman, who finished with a season-high 19 points and eight rebounds. Star sophomore guard Melo Trimble had just seven points but handed out 10 assists and fueled another balanced attack. Back-court mate Rasheed Sulaimon had 11 points, and the front-court tandem of Robert Carter Jr. and freshman Diamond Stone combined for 23 points and 10 rebounds. [What brought the Terps back to Baltimore] It was an offensive awakening — especially for Layman, who had scored in double figures only once in the previous six games. He made seven of his 11 shots, including four three-pointers on a night when Maryland went 12 for 25 from beyond the arc. “That’s what’s special about this team. On any given night, one guy could come up big for us. Tonight, I guess, was my night,” Layman said. “Next game I could score five points and someone else could score 20. That’s just how we work.” Maryland became dependent on the three-point shot early — six of its first eight shots came from beyond the arc — as it struggled to solve Princeton’s zone. That allowed the Tigers, known for their man-to-man defense, to build a lead late in the first half. Turgeon called the timeout after Princeton’s Henry Caruso hit a three-pointer to make it 25-19 with 6 minutes 36 seconds remaining in the first half. He wanted to settle his players and draw up a set. Layman responded with a conventional three-point play out of the timeout, and two possessions later Trimble skipped a pass to Jared Nickens in the corner for a three-pointer to tie it at 27. Trimble, who took several violent spills in the first half, still had not scored at that point. But he scored five straight in a matter of 29 seconds to extend the lead to 32-27, and after Princeton (6-3) called a timeout of its own, Turgeon applied a full-court press for the first time all year. That allowed Trimble to pick up a steal and feed Layman for another three-pointer, fueling the run that gave Maryland a 35-31 halftime lead. “I really thought the difference in the game was when [Layman] made a three to make it 35-27,” Princeton Coach Mitch Henderson said. Maryland opened the second half by scoring on its first three possessions, including a three-pointer from Layman that extended the lead to eight. He received plenty of help. Carter, who struggled to find quality looks against Princeton’s zone in the first half, erupted for eight points in the first 4:28 of the second half to help Maryland take a 48-38 lead. Turgeon seemed to clap the hardest after Maryland made a string of defensive stands in the second half, clamping down on a Princeton offense that bore a resemblance to what the Terrapins had faced against Georgetown earlier this season. Maryland has made considerable defensive strides since that mid-November game, though. It used its length to close out on Princeton’s sharpshooters and allowed just 18 points in the paint, showing an unwavering discipline against a team with a unique offensive system. Princeton, which entered the night averaging 77 points, shot 40.4 percent. Maryland, meanwhile, continued to coalesce on the offensive end and dazzled the Baltimore crowd with a number of electrifying plays in the final 20 minutes. That included an off-balance, spot-up three-pointer from Nickens to extend the lead to 12 with 14:37 to play. It included Sulaimon using one of his signature alley-oops to feed Layman for a two-handed slam on the ensuing possession. It included a fadeaway, turnaround jumper two minutes later from Stone, who finished the three-point play off with a free throw. Even Jaylen Brantley, Layman’s former AAU teammate who will be counted on more once Big Ten play begins, nailed a pair of three-pointers in the final 10 minutes and finished with 14 points. That capped a memorable night for Turgeon, who was approached by several fans before the game who told him they weren’t able to get tickets to games at Xfinity Center. “So they got to come here and watch the guys tonight. That was great,” Turgeon said. “We’ve been wanting to do this for a while.” |