As we get ready for the Temple game in Orlando, here is a look back at Friday’s game
Maryland Heats Up and Trounces George Mason 86-63
Another Win as Maryland Breezes During Out of Conference Play
by Zachary Wilson
In a clash of two undefeated squads only one can prevail, and, unfortunately for George Mason, this battle’s end would see Maryland continue onward without a loss.
As is the current standard trait of UMD, the game would begin as a low scoring slogfest with Maryland unable to effectively establish a scoring rhythm. In fact, the Terps would start 1/7 from the three-point line. Shooting from distance is an area the Terps have consistently struggled defending and scoring from this year. Even in an affair with such a lopsided result there is some worry as Maryland continually fails to begin a game competitively and relies on using depth and athleticism to tire their opponents during the latter sections of games.
Defensively, Mark Turgeon started by running a man to man scheme but would have to switch back to a “new to us” 1-3-1 zone defense to effectively hold back George Mason. It is clear that Turgeon wants to leverage an athletic and demanding half court press defense. However, some refinements need to be made as the Patriots had little trouble driving through to the basket early on due to this scheme.
Maryland would bounce back before the end of the first half and dance to the locker room pushing a 19-2 scoring run. And, as what we’ve come accustomed to throughout all these out of conference games, the Terps would maintain a steady 9+ point lead for the entirety of the second half.
The No.6 Terrapins take this win in stride to 5-0 before they travel to Orlando for an 11am Thanksgiving day matchup against the Temple Owls, their first neutral site game of the year.
Notable Statlines, The Good and The Not So Good:
The Good:
Jalen Smith-In his campaign to further his stock in the NBA draft, Smith came out and put in a double-double for the team with 12 points and 10 rebounds. He would also add 2 blocks to his statline.
Anthony Cowan-Another game, another good performance-Cowan would lead the team in scoring with 16 points points on 50% shooting alongside only missing 1 of his 8 free throw attempts.
The team’s free throw shooting!-As Turgeon stressed his displeasure in the post game interview against Fairfield, the Terps had struggled taking advantage of the foul shots they were given. Tonight, they shot 11-13 from the line in the first half and would cruize through the game finishing 30-38 from the charity stripe.
The Not So Good:
Darryl Morsell-With Morsell this year has been very strange and inconsistent. At times he proves his leadership position as a starter and at others he can play a fairly pedestrian game. Tonight was clearly the latter with just 2 pts in 24 minutes from 1-6 shooting. He would also add 2 turnovers, but he did at least contribute 5 rebounds (all on the defensive side of the ball).
Three Point Shooting-This has been an area of concern for the Terps as they cannot seem to establish a long range pressure. This match would be no exception as MD would shoot a dwindling 27.3% from beyond the arc. We can only hope that the immense size of this team down low can keep carrying them to victories with such averages.
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