Just like the first matchup, Maryland rallied for a second-half comeback to defeat Iowa, this time 78-66, after trailing by as many as 11 points in the first half.
With Jahari Long and Mady Traore starting against the Hawkeyes, it was DeShawn Harris-Smith who shined off the bench after scoring a career-high 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, while adding six rebounds and three assists. Julian Reese notched his 13th double-double of the season, while Jahmir Young led the way with 21 points and became the 51st Terp to score 500 points in a season, doing so in each of his last two seasons.
Head coach Kevin Willard had to turn to his bench after Traore and Jordan Geronimo left the game early with undisclosed injuries, but Maryland did enough late to move to 14-11 (6-8) on the season.
Everything that Willard, DeShawn Harris-Smith and Julian Reese said following the win:
Willard on what the conversation during the timeout when Iowa went up 64-54
“These guys have been playing so hard all year, giving ourselves chances. I just kind of reminded them that we’ve been in this situation a lot so everybody take a deep breath. We cut it to four, we gave up two offensive rebounds. It was more or less just calming them down. Jamie [Kaiser Jr. is] out there. You have DeShawn [Harris-Smith] out there. You have two freshmen just making sure they understood that we’ve been in this situation before and take a deep breath. It’s okay.”
Willard on DeShawn Harris-Smith’s career game vs. Iowa
“I find it comical [that] everybody thinks starting matters. I mean, he played 41 minutes the other night against Ohio State and he plays 31 minutes and so just because your name doesn’t get called is probably one of the most irrelevant things in basketball.”
Harris-Smith on whether it’s important to him to start
“Growing up, I wasn’t always the best player on the team so I’ve came off the bench multiple times. Like my freshman year I was blessed to play with like Trevor, Jeremy Roach, Dug McDaniel so I had to come off the bench and watch those guys and they helped me the same way that Ju and Jahmir [are] here helping me right now. Coming off the bench does help me, but starting, I mean, either way, it doesn’t matter. I’m just going to come in and play as hard as I can, just keep stacking games starting with this one.”
DeShawn Harris-Smith on whether coming off the bench helps performance
“I mean lately I feel like it has helped me just because I could see like how the other team’s playing us, how the other team [is] guarding Jahmir and stuff like that. I mean, because him being a fifth-year guy, it’s easy for him to come in and make the right reads as soon as the game starts. But me being a freshman, different ball screen coverages, like just a different way to guard [Julian Reese] and stuff. When I’m on the bench, I could see how they play everybody and then come in and I can be like an instant impact because I’ve already been watching. And then like I’ve been playing a lot so I feel like coming off the bench, having another experienced guy when we need a sub is just a great thing to have. And if that means we won and I came off the bench, I’ll come off the bench every game.”
Willard on the impact of the win vs. Iowa
“This was a huge win man. The Rutgers game was a tough, tough, tough loss at home. I thought we battled, gave ourselves a chance on the road against Ohio State and to keep fighting. I’ve seen a lot of teams, I’ve been through this, they kind of just don’t come out and fight and these guys show great heart. So I think for them, it’s really important.”
Willard on Maryland’s improved free-throw shooting vs. Iowa
“We really haven’t had much time to practice. I’ll go to the line with Donta Scott every time at the end of the game. He missed two free throws [against Ohio State]. It’s basketball. Sometimes it happens.”
Willard on updates to Mady Traore and Jordan Geronimo
“I have no updates on that. No, I have no idea.”
Willard on what impressed Willard about DeShawn Harris-Smith
“I thought his defense was phenomenal. Obviously he’s got good offensive numbers and he will eventually give you those offensive numbers on a consistent basis as he gets older. But his defense on [Payton] Sandfort was the difference in the game. He really started being physical. He’s chased him off screens. Sandfort had some tough twos in the second half, but I thought he really did a good job of really staying on him and chasing him off and I thought once they stopped getting easy threes, that really changed that. That just gave us a little bit more confidence.”
Willard on whether there was an emphasis late to pound the paint
“For some reason at home, we’ve really started off. I don’t want to use the word lackadaisical. I think we’ve started off very timid at home for some reason and we settled for shots and one of the biggest things for us at halftime watching our offense and throughout the second half was just reminding them that we are a little bit more athletic. Let’s take advantage of driving. Let’s take advantage of getting the basketball inside. I thought we did a good job of getting the ball on the side of the Donta, getting the ball inside to [Julian Reese] off pick and rolls. For some reason, we’re just getting off to a really lackadaisical starts at home, not lackadaisical. Just our defense is really good to start games at home and our offense I think he’s just a little timid.”
Willard on the importance of Julian Reese in Maryland’s second-half run
“I can’t say enough about Ju. He had a great bounce back tonight because he really struggled the other night going 4-for-15 but he played 47 minutes or something crazy amount of minutes in that game. I think for the load he’s bearing, he’s playing phenomenal.”
Willard on Maryland taking better care of the ball in the second half
“Again, our turnovers in the first half were kind of. We fumbled a pass. We fumbled two passes. We dribbled out of bounds. It’s just, again, they come out and they’re very focused defensively. I think for some reason, it just takes them a little time to get [adjusted]. It’s been every home game all year. It hasn’t just been recently. It was Coppin [State], it was UMBC. We did the same thing at home. These guys love playing at home, but it’s just taking them a little time to relax on the offensive end and get into a rhythm.”
Willard on how Maryland adjusts without Mady Traore, Noah Batchelor, Jordan Geronimo
“I’m going to have to slide Jamie over to the power forward spot a little bit. We’ll make it work. That’s one thing about this group. Donta will go back to being the power forward which he can, he’s actually more comfortable. He plays better in that spot anyway. This time of year you just got to figure it out.”
Reese on whether frontcourt injuries put more pressure on starters
“I feel like it puts more emphasis on the whole team and just coming together. Like they say, when your brother falls, everybody else got to stay together and I feel like we did that today and we were able to get the ‘W’.
Willard on the adjustment on Payton Sandfort
“I put DeShawn on him. DeShawn took it personal to stop him and they did a phenomenal job of understanding what we wanted to do.”
Harris-Smith on his defense against Sandfort
“I was really just chasing him around, like he runs a lot off ball screens and just always cutting back door. I mean, he’s a smart player, older guy. So, I mean, I really just running around and chasing, trying to give all I can get and make sure he [doesn’t] get like a good look.”
Harris-Smith on personally asking for the defensive assignment against Sandfort
“I just feel like off the bench, like I said, I need to be a spark plug. I need to be energy guy if I’m coming off the bench. So defense is a huge energy thing. And I feel like I’m one of the best defenders on the team so if we’re having trouble guarding somebody, [I just want] to ask for a challenge to try to stop them, just give it all on defense so Jahmir and Ju can do the scoring on offense.”
Willard on having back-to-back home games
“To be honest with you, I’m just looking forward not to going home and pack. It’s the first time since…January 2nd. It’s the first time since January 2nd we’ve had back-to-back home games.”
Julian Reese on the bench production
“It means a lot especially for Deshawn [who] hasn’t been doing as well as he wants to. Just turn it around after the last game and just contribute like he did, especially off the bench. And this is a great thing and it just shows his character as a player. [It] shows his demeanor and his attitude.”
Reese on the message in the locker room after ending three-game slide
“Just stick to the plan and just keep winning games and just keep giving effort and give it all we can. That’s literally all we can do really, and just keep pushing forward.”
Reese on points production coming in the final ten minutes of both halves
“I feel like it was really a double teaming, first posting up and they double teamed me early and I started passing out. We were able to get threes in and give it up, be able to get guys driving to the basket and close outs. The one that I feel like makes the team second-guess the double team and then I was able to get deeper catches and be able to finish around the rim and clean up those rebounds.”
Harris-Smith on being more aggressive and whether mentality change was tough
“It definitely is hard like not playing as good as I wanted to come into this year, but I mean I feel like I’m a competitor. I know if I keep working, keep my head down, things are going to go my way. Like I said, if you have good energy, you’re being a good person on and off the court and the good thing is eventually going to happen to you. So, I mean, I’m just going to keep trying to do that. Keep trying to be a positive person. And hopefully the ball keeps going in the rim for me.”
Reese on his bounce back performance vs. Iowa
“I felt like it was a little bit of both, you know? Just not thinking about it, just playing and just making the right play. I kind of force a lot of things. Ohio State and kind of turn the ball over which shifted my mind and kind of took my mind off things and affected my shot and I feel like today I was taking care of the ball, handling the double teams well and it just facilitate like I should. I was able to just keep my confidence.”
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