Just minutes after the Terps football team lost their final game of the season to North Carolina, the men’s basketball team had their chance to get a win. They did just that.
It was a tight first half, with Maryland unable to make consistent shots. They started off the game by allowing Georgia Southern to make three consecutive three-pointers, forcing Mark Turgeon to call the Terps’ first timeout earlier than he would have liked. For all of the first half, the Terps were unable to put Georgia Southern away. Their shooting left a lot to be desired, and they were leaving too many Georgia Southern shooters open beyond the arc. Maryland entered the half leading by a score of 29-26.
Mark Turgeon obviously lit a fire under his team during halftime, as they came out firing to start the second half. For most of the second half, the Terps led by double-digits. They were more efficient with their shooting and much more physical underneath the basket. Following their coach’s intensity, they showed a lot more fight in the second half and came away with a 70-53 win.
Alex Len had another good game, amassing 10 points, 7 rebounds, and a block. Logan Aronhalt played a huge role off of the bench, scoring 12 points all of which on 3-pointers. He is known as a 3-point specialist, and it showed why in tonight’s game. Aronhalt was 4-4 from long range. Charles Mitchell had a huge game off of the bench and got himself a double-double, garnering 13 points, 11 rebounds, and a block. Nick Faust has really been struggling with his scoring, but he quietly came away with 11 points and 5 assists.
Pe’Shon Howard really struggled in this game. He missed two ill-advised three-pointers early in the game, a shot that he really needs to avoid. Howard came away with 4 assists, but has to decide whether he’s a passer or a scorer, because he seems a bit hesitant when he gets the ball with space in front of him. Defenses are learning that he is not a good shooter, so he either has to improve his ability to make shots, or stop trying to take those shots. Howard also needs to be more careful with the ball, as he turned the ball over 3 times in this game, while playing only 15 minutes. Seth Allen got the majority of the playing time at the point, and ended up with 2 points and 6 assists. He also turned the ball over 3 times in his 29 minutes of play. If he can improve his passing and ball handling, he could become the starting point guard down the road this season. It looks like Mark Turgeon is leaning towards Allen as his starting point guard already.
The Terps improve to 4-1 with this win, and head to Evanston, IL on Tuesday night to face the Northwestern Wildcats in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge.
Terps Analyst
Zack is a financial analyst for a defense contractor in Washington, DC. The Owings Mills native focuses most of his efforts on Maryland Football recruiting and individual coach and player pieces; but also covers Terps Basketball. He has established relationships with Big Ten beat reporters across the conference, which he utilizes in his game previews. Now a Sr. Terps Analyst for BSL, Zack can be reached at: zack.kiesel@baltimoresportsandlife.com.