Instant reactions: Maryland escapes Hofstra, pulls off 69-67 win

Maryland narrowly escaped with a win over Hofstra on Friday night as a layup from Ayala, pair of free throws from Ian Martinez, and a late steal from Fatts Russell sealed a 69-67 win. Maryland moves to 4-1 on the season with a tough stretch coming up, but first, we break down our instant reactions from Friday night.

Offensive concerns…Hofstra entered the matchup with proven scorers and they nearly showed it during their season-opening overtime loss against Houston. The Pride saw four players finish in double-figures as guard Jalen Ray played all 40 minutes despite shooting 5-of-16. But the Terps struggled against Hofstra’s halfcourt offense with their now assumed starting five of Fatts, Ayala, Hart, Scott, and Wahab. It didn’t help that the Terps went over five minutes without a field goal during the first half, allowing Hofstra to gradually reclaim control of the game. Maryland finished the night shooting just 23% from deep at 41.7% from the field as fans saw veteran Eric Ayala struggle yet again to find his shot, finishing just 5-of-17 from the field. Of course, it was Ayala who penetrated the paint for the game-tying layup as the Terps used a 6-0 run over the final 1:05 to pull off the 69-67 win. But with their next five games against Richmond, Mississippi State/Louisville, Virginia Tech, Northwestern, and Florida, Maryland will need to find its groove quickly if they want to capitalize on multiple signature win opportunities.

The emergence of Julian Reese…after playing just 16 minutes against George Mason, Wahab played just eight minutes in the first half and didn’t return to the game in the second half. That’s also attributed to the Terps’ small ball lineup through the final 20 minutes, flashing Martinez, Fatts, and Ayala all on the court together to counter Hofstra’s four-guard lineup. With Reese a more natural fit given his athleticism, the freshman scored eight points in the second half and came up with four offensive rebounds, including three in the final six minutes, to give the Terps the ultimate edge. Reese played a big role in the Terps outrebounding Hofstra 43-27 as Turgeon adjusted to the smaller lineups, but a season-high 16 turnovers leave cause for concern.

Shooting…Maryland saw four players finish in double-figures with Ayala (14), Fatts (13), Martinez (13), and Reese (10) leading the way. The problem is Ayala and Fatts, the two starters, shot a combined 8-of-25 from the field. Ayala shot just 2-of-9 from deep while Fatts missed three of his ten free throw attempts, leaving cause for concern. Friday night’s showing isn’t the first time the Terps’ backcourt has struggled, but they weren’t alone as Donta Scott finished with just seven points on 2-of-8 shooting. The big man did lead the way with a team-high eight rebounds but struggled at times in the halfcourt. Martinez was inserted as a starter coming out of halftime to help the Terps adjust to Hofstra’s play but proved to be the difference-maker in the end after knocking down a pair of game-sealing free throws, his only attempts from the line on the night. Maryland finished the night shooting 41.7% from the field, but that overlooks the pair of three-plus minute scoring droughts that placed more pressure on the Terps’ defense. Maryland continues to find scoring opportunities for Ayala, while Fatts has had opportunities at the rim and in transition, but the struggles through the first five games could be something to watch as the competition level rises.

Next: Maryland will face Richmond on Thursday, November 25 in the Baha Mar Tournament for a 7 PM tipoff.