Saturday’s contest between Maryland and Syracuse started ugly offensively for both teams through the first four minutes of the game. The Terps would find their footing – and Syracuse never did – as Maryland men’s basketball picked up its first win vs. Syracuse since Dec. 6, 1980 in a 87-60 win at the Barclays Center.
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Days after nearly recording a career-high with 24 points vs. Saint Francis, Miguel led the way once again with 16 of his 24 points in the first half while drilling a career-high six threes in the win. Ja’Kobi Gillespie also turned in his first double-double in a Maryland uniform, finishing with 17 points and 11 assists as he and Miguel combined for 41 points in the blowout win. Miguel and Gillespie matched Syracuse’s total points through the first 32 minutes of the game, while Julian Reese and Derik Queen both finished with 11 points on combined 10-of-25 shooting.
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Largely viewed as Maryland’s final test before conference play picks back up, Saturday proved anything but that for head coach Kevin Willard’s squad after Miguel’s first three kicked off the game’s scoring 31 seconds in, giving them a lead they’d comfortably hold onto for the final 39:29 in regulation.
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Neither team found its groove on offense to start with just nine combined points while the Terps opened just 1-of-7 from the field, but the Terps’ adjusting quicker proved to be the difference early.
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Maryland capitalized on a putrid Syracuse start as the Orange had more turnovers (9) than field goals (5) through the first 12 minutes, allowing the Terps to turn those extra possessions into 11 points. But it was Maryland’s guards who controlled the game as Miguel, Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Rodney Rice combined for 22 of Maryland’s first 26 points as the Terps’ forced Syracuse into their tempo all day long.
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Maryland stretched that lead to 15 after Ja’Kobi Gillespie found Selton Miguel on a seemingly effortless behind-the-back pass for a triple, part of a 7-0 run spanning three minutes.
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Maryland ended the first half on a 17-2 run over the final 4:12 to take a 26-point lead into the break, while the team shot over 45% from both the field and three through the first half. Derik Queen’s highlight of the day came during the run after coming down with the board off his own miss, only to absorb the contact on his putback attempt to set up the and-one opportunity.
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The second half was no different to start as Maryland stretched its lead to as many as 38 points in the second half as head coach Kevin Willard turned to his bench to close it out.
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Maryland would double up on Syracuse with eight minutes remaining with the score 74-37, but the Orange would cut into the lead late after a 12-2 run prompted Willard to call a timeout before the teams traded buckets the rest of the way and Maryland leading by at least 25 points through the final 20 minutes.
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Maryland will wrap up non-conference play next Saturday, Dec. 28 vs. UMES with tipoff set for 12 PM.
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