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| Maryland takes care of business against overmatched Bowie State | Maryland takes care of business against overmatched Bowie State |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Maryland’s 93-62 win over Bowie State on Tuesday night was essentially an exhibition victory in February, an odd footnote in the middle of the Big Ten season. Terrapins Coach Mark Turgeon could be heard screaming play-calls with large swaths of Xfinity Center empty in the opening minutes, and his players staggered on their first four possessions. | Maryland’s 93-62 win over Bowie State on Tuesday night was essentially an exhibition victory in February, an odd footnote in the middle of the Big Ten season. Terrapins Coach Mark Turgeon could be heard screaming play-calls with large swaths of Xfinity Center empty in the opening minutes, and his players staggered on their first four possessions. |
| After a pair of missed three-pointers, a travel and a double-dribble by sophomore point guard Melo Trimble, it was clear this game would be a mental challenge unto itself. Trimble, in a rare fit of emotion, slammed the ball on the court in frustration after his mistake. Turgeon was livid at the first media timeout, mostly with himself. His players weren’t ready for the Division II Bulldogs’ half-court traps. | After a pair of missed three-pointers, a travel and a double-dribble by sophomore point guard Melo Trimble, it was clear this game would be a mental challenge unto itself. Trimble, in a rare fit of emotion, slammed the ball on the court in frustration after his mistake. Turgeon was livid at the first media timeout, mostly with himself. His players weren’t ready for the Division II Bulldogs’ half-court traps. |
| “We never talked about it one time,” Turgeon said. “I was frustrated with that.” | “We never talked about it one time,” Turgeon said. “I was frustrated with that.” |
| [Maryland climbs to No. 2 in Associated Press poll] | [Maryland climbs to No. 2 in Associated Press poll] |
| When Maryland finally did engage and begin to cruise later in the first half, it got plenty of valuable work done. Maryland’s players, especially guard Rasheed Sulaimon, refused to succumb to lethargy. Sulaimon finished with a game-high 16 points and brought the crowd to life with a number of electrifying plays in the second half. | When Maryland finally did engage and begin to cruise later in the first half, it got plenty of valuable work done. Maryland’s players, especially guard Rasheed Sulaimon, refused to succumb to lethargy. Sulaimon finished with a game-high 16 points and brought the crowd to life with a number of electrifying plays in the second half. |
| Maryland couldn’t fit Tuesday’s game into its nonconference schedule before Big Ten play began in late December, Turgeon said, so it was wedged into one of the team’s two bye weeks during the conference season. | Maryland couldn’t fit Tuesday’s game into its nonconference schedule before Big Ten play began in late December, Turgeon said, so it was wedged into one of the team’s two bye weeks during the conference season. |
| Turgeon and his players didn’t want to treat this game as a foregone conclusion, but rather an opportunity to maintain rhythm ahead of Saturday’s home game against streaking Wisconsin, which has won five straight and emerged as one of the Big Ten’s hottest teams over the past month. The Badgers will meet a well-rested team in College Park. | Turgeon and his players didn’t want to treat this game as a foregone conclusion, but rather an opportunity to maintain rhythm ahead of Saturday’s home game against streaking Wisconsin, which has won five straight and emerged as one of the Big Ten’s hottest teams over the past month. The Badgers will meet a well-rested team in College Park. |
| Alongside Sulaimon, Maryland received notable contributions from starters Diamond Stone (14 points) and Robert Carter Jr. (nine points), but none of Maryland’s starters played more than 20 minutes. Trimble, who had averaged 37.6 minutes in his previous three games, finished with five points, four rebounds and three assists in 17 minutes. | Alongside Sulaimon, Maryland received notable contributions from starters Diamond Stone (14 points) and Robert Carter Jr. (nine points), but none of Maryland’s starters played more than 20 minutes. Trimble, who had averaged 37.6 minutes in his previous three games, finished with five points, four rebounds and three assists in 17 minutes. |
| “We didn’t use this to take a day off or anything like that. We’re staying in rhythm,” said Sulaimon, who hit 7 of 10 shots from the field. | “We didn’t use this to take a day off or anything like that. We’re staying in rhythm,” said Sulaimon, who hit 7 of 10 shots from the field. |
| Tuesday also presented a chance for Turgeon to give key reserves a chunk of live minutes before the team begins the homestretch. Sophomore center Michal Cekovsky finished with 14 points against the overmatched Bulldogs, and junior guard Jaylen Brantley added 10 points and one assist in 21 minutes, the most he had played all season. The question for Maryland is whether those performances can translate to confidence for both Cekovsky and Brantley during the final stretch of the season. | Tuesday also presented a chance for Turgeon to give key reserves a chunk of live minutes before the team begins the homestretch. Sophomore center Michal Cekovsky finished with 14 points against the overmatched Bulldogs, and junior guard Jaylen Brantley added 10 points and one assist in 21 minutes, the most he had played all season. The question for Maryland is whether those performances can translate to confidence for both Cekovsky and Brantley during the final stretch of the season. |
| Facing a Bowie State team consisting mostly of players from the Washington area, Maryland relished playing against the Bulldogs’ zone and full-court press on Tuesday. Not only did 11 players score, but Maryland also shot 59.6 percent from the field, had 48 points in the paint and attempted just 13 three-pointers. Turgeon even experimented with zone looks on the defensive end himself at times, and Maryland held Bowie State to just 37 percent shooting. | |
| Bowie State had more fouls (18) than rebounds (12) in the first 20 minutes, playing as though it was in awe of Maryland’s size and length. Cekovsky, who has settled into his role as the team’s third center behind Stone and junior Damonte Dodd and entered the night averaging 9.5 minutes per game, capitalized with his best performance of the season. | Bowie State had more fouls (18) than rebounds (12) in the first 20 minutes, playing as though it was in awe of Maryland’s size and length. Cekovsky, who has settled into his role as the team’s third center behind Stone and junior Damonte Dodd and entered the night averaging 9.5 minutes per game, capitalized with his best performance of the season. |
| [Mark Turgeon, the man who holds the Terps’ operation together] | [Mark Turgeon, the man who holds the Terps’ operation together] |
| “It is really hard,” Cekovsky said of his playing time as a sophomore. “But we played really well [tonight]. We each played to the point and shared the ball. It was really good.” | “It is really hard,” Cekovsky said of his playing time as a sophomore. “But we played really well [tonight]. We each played to the point and shared the ball. It was really good.” |
| Perhaps his most impressive play came with 40 seconds remaining in the first half, when Brantley lobbed an entry pass to Cekovsky in the paint. The Slovakia native took contact as he finished the alley-oop off the glass to help give Maryland an 18-point halftime lead. | Perhaps his most impressive play came with 40 seconds remaining in the first half, when Brantley lobbed an entry pass to Cekovsky in the paint. The Slovakia native took contact as he finished the alley-oop off the glass to help give Maryland an 18-point halftime lead. |
| Sulaimon played as if he knew his college games are numbered. Even with Maryland leading by 19 early in the second half, he was still running around with an air of desperation. He scored four points in a span of 12 seconds at one point, including a breakaway dunk that extended the lead to 24. He added a three-point play with less than 15 minutes remaining, and Turgeon pulled him and the rest of his starters a few minutes later. Maryland had kept its rhythm and was about to win a fifth straight game, so Turgeon began to unload his bench. | Sulaimon played as if he knew his college games are numbered. Even with Maryland leading by 19 early in the second half, he was still running around with an air of desperation. He scored four points in a span of 12 seconds at one point, including a breakaway dunk that extended the lead to 24. He added a three-point play with less than 15 minutes remaining, and Turgeon pulled him and the rest of his starters a few minutes later. Maryland had kept its rhythm and was about to win a fifth straight game, so Turgeon began to unload his bench. |
| “Tomorrow we’re going to have a recovery day,” said Sulaimon, who played just 20 minutes. “It’s going to feel pretty good to have some legs.” | “Tomorrow we’re going to have a recovery day,” said Sulaimon, who played just 20 minutes. “It’s going to feel pretty good to have some legs.” |