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Maryland men’s basketball hit the ground in their first game of the 2020-21 season, beating Old Dominion, 85-67.
In a preseason filled with uncertainty, the Terps faced the Monarchs in an empty Xfinity Center without their top two scorers from a season ago, Anthony Cowan Jr. and Jalen Smith. However, the offensive side of the ball shone for Maryland on a rambling Old Dominion defense, with four Terps scoring in double digits.
Here are my biggest takeaways from the Terps’ first win of the season.
Eric Ayala was perfect off the ground
Playing alongside Cowan for the past two seasons, Ayala was set for a breakout season as the team’s main point guard.
The 6’5 junior led the Terps with 19 points on a perfect 6-for-6 clip from the floor in the win, including four shots in as many attempts from outside the arc. The guard shot only achieved 27.4% of his three-point attempts in his second campaign, but proved his worth as the Terps’ go-to scorer in the season opener after scoring the opening points of the team during a rim training.
“It wasn’t too impressive, just because it’s him. He’s a sniper, a shooter on the ground, ”said Galin Smith. “I really think about him a lot when it comes to playing what he brings to the team. So it was very important for us to hit those shots. But, like I said, he’s a sniper, so he knocked them out.
The last Terp to hit every shot he threw from the ground with at least five attempts was Ricky Lindo Jr. a season ago, when he scored 13 on a 6 for 6 shot against Fairfield on November 19, 2019.
As one of the team’s best shooters, Ayala was a threat from all parts of the pitch on Wednesday.
After receiving the ball at the top of the key nine minutes into the game, the keeper himself carried it to the rim with two defenders following him the entire way. Ayala hesitated on the free throw line, leaving Old Dominion guard Malik Curry behind as he walked over to the bucket and performed the shot and a heavy contact for the second time in the game.
“I’m constantly trying to mix things up,” Ayala said. “Not just settling for three balls.”
Ayala also didn’t miss the free throw line throughout the game, and he finished with five more rebounds and three assists.
Donta Scott provided a spark from the bench
After starting 21 of 31 games last season as a rookie, Scott was in Terps’ first wave to come off the bench on Wednesday.
The second-year 14 points placed second on the team and was a career high. He also had a career-high three points, draining three in the win.
Philadelphia’s 6’7, 225-pounder also added seven rebounds to its stat line, its record since a double-digit performance against Nebraska in February.
Boston College transfer Jairus Hamilton started off forward against Scott and scored five points with two rebounds and two assists, but he only shot a 1-for-7 from the floor in his debut for the Terps.
Scott’s ball movement abilities as a big man also facilitated most of the team’s big runs in the two halves of the contest which led to the unbalanced victory. His +9 on the +/- scale ranked as the best among the team’s bench players.
If Scott is able to replicate his dominance off the bench for Maryland like he did against the Monarchs, the Terps may have a chance of winning their second straight Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year award after Wiggins gets it. won last season.
“Only time can tell,” Scott said of his role as a bench player. “I’m just going to follow what my coach says and whatever my team needs. And that’s what I’m going to give them.
Ten players found the bucket for Maryland
For the first time since Dec. 29, 2019, win against Bryant, 10 or more players scored for the Terps on Wednesday.
Ayala led the way with 19, but three more finished in double digits, as Scott had 14 and Aaron Wiggins and Darryl Morsell each finished with 12.
Turgeon gave 13 players on-field time to open the season, 10 of whom saw playing time in the game’s opening seven minutes as the Maryland head coach traded all of his starters for the next five of the l ‘team.
“We were a little nervous at the start, we played 10 guys from the start, and it’s a little hard to find the rhythm when you do that,” said Turgeon. “And then we kind of settled down.”
Sophomore Chol Marial provided the Terps with a much needed stature as the 7’2 cross scored seven points in the paint and added four rebounds and two blocks to his 17 minutes of action.
Six newcomers spoke for the first time in a Maryland uniform, two of whom, Hamilton and Alabama graduate Galin Smith, were part of the team’s starting lineup. The duo totaled 11 points, while first-year goaltender Aquan Smart tackled six of his own, highlighted by a monster slamming into the lane in the closing minutes of the game.
“Galin and Jairus were awesome,” Turgeon said. “Galin was really solid. Jairus pushed us on the offensive, even though he wasn’t scoring. He made a three, but when we posted we played him on the post.
A team that has lost scores of players following graduation, the NBA and the transfer portal showed their depth on Wednesday, garnering contributions from almost everyone who entered the game, which could be crucial for the future.
“Having a deep team gives a lot of energy to a group of guys,” Scott said. “Because you could take a guy out and that would probably be the best thing around him.” And just go back to the field and give the same effort of energy.
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