Ayala, Russell Lead No. 21 Terrapins Past Vermont 68-57

3 years ago 411

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Eric Ayala and Fatts Russell each scored 22 points, and No. 21 Maryland rallied Saturday to decision Vermont 68-57.

Ben Shungu scored a career-high 27 points and Isaiah Powell added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Catamounts (1-1), who person not defeated a Big Ten squad since 1977.

Maryland is disconnected to a 3-0 commencement for the eighth consecutive play aft allowing conscionable 8 points successful the last 8:57.

“I’ve been doing this a agelong time, and that past 10 minutes was arsenic bully arsenic 1 of my teams has ever played defensively,” Maryland manager Mark Turgeon said. “I’ve had a batch of bully antiaircraft teams, and that was thing else.”

The Terrapins trailed by 9 successful the archetypal fractional and 39-32 aboriginal successful the 2nd earlier Ian Martinez’s 3-pointer finished a 12-2 tally that gave them the pb for bully with 12:48 left.

Maryland struggled to afloat enactment distant Vermont until late. Ayala and Russell combined for 9 points during a 10-0 tally successful the last minutes to propulsion the pb to 13.

Shungu scored 20 points successful the archetypal half, including a brace of 3-pointers successful the last infinitesimal to springiness the Catamounts a 36-32 pb astatine the break.

“He got going successful the archetypal half,” Ayala said. “I came successful astatine halftime and was telling the guys, ‘If we halt him, we triumph the game.’ He had astir of their points successful the archetypal fractional and I deliberation helium got tired. In the 2nd half, we were wearing him down.”

Maryland besides went with a somewhat smaller lineup, arsenic halfway Qudus Wahab played lone 8 scoreless minutes aft the break.

That had a trickle-down effect of allowing the Terps to repeatedly power defenders connected to Shungu.

“They were truly gathering a partition successful modulation against Benny, and adjacent successful the halfcourt they had guys 1 walk distant that were truly squeezed successful connected him and made everything hard for him,” Vermont manager John Becker said.

Vermont guardant Ryan Davis had 8 points connected 3-of-12 shooting. Davis was past season’s America East subordinate of the twelvemonth but missed the Catamounts’ opening triumph Thursday astatine Northern Iowa.

BIG PICTURE

Vermont: The Catamounts are a perennial contender successful the America East, and Saturday’s effect suggests that volition beryllium the lawsuit again this season. Vermont’s remaining crippled against a powerfulness league squad is Dec. 7 astatine Providence.

Maryland: Much similar successful Thursday’s 71-64 triumph implicit George Washington, the Terps were not astatine their champion but managed to gain a victory. Perimeter shooting is an evident concern; Maryland is 9 of 47 from 3-point scope implicit the past 2 games.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

With fewer upsets successful the bottommost fractional of the Top 25 this week, Maryland shouldn’t determination overmuch erstwhile Monday’s canvass is released.

GRAHAM STILL OUT

Maryland freshman guardant James Graham III remained suspended for a usurpation of squad rules and missed his 2nd crippled successful a row. Turgeon said helium had not met with Graham since earlier Thursday’s game.

“We conscionable had excessively overmuch going successful between,” Turgeon said. “I’ll conscionable with James connected Monday and we’ll spot wherever it goes from there.”

Graham, who enrolled successful the mediate of past play and averaged 1.3 points successful 8 games, had 2 points and a rebound successful 5 minutes of Tuesday’s play opener against Quinnipiac.

UP NEXT

Vermont volition effort to widen its winning streak successful location openers to 8 Tuesday against Division III Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Maryland continues its opening five-game homestand Wednesday against George Mason. The Terps are 9-0 all-time against the Patriots.

MORE NEWS: COVID-19 In Maryland: More Than 800 New Cases & 11 Deaths Reported Sunday

Read Entire Article