Maryland was able to get revenge against Rutgers on Sunday afternoon as head coach Kevin Willard saw his team take hold of the game thanks to a late first-half run. Maryland led by as many as 21 points as Julian Reese finished with a game-high 20 points, but it was the defense that stood tall.
Maryland allowed just 46 points, the lowest for a Terps’ opponent this season and fewest since holding Minnesota to the same total back on Feb. 4, 2023. Maryland held Rutgers to just 18 first-half points, the fewest allowed in a conference game since holding Wisconsin to 15 back on Jan.14, 2019 vs. Wisconsin. Donta Scott also connected on three three-pointers, moving into the top five in his career, before finishing with 11 points and seven rebounds.
Everything that Maryland head coach Kevin Willard and forward Donta Scott said following the win:
Willard on Maryland’s defensive effort in the win vs. Rutgers
“The first five minutes of the game, I got on these guys yesterday pretty hard. We didn’t practice very good on Friday and I got on them yesterday pretty hard because they’ve worked so hard and they’ve practiced really hard. We’ve been in every game and I was like, we’re not going to have a defeatist attitude. That’s not this program. It’s not what we’re about. It’s not what you guys are about. And they responded really well. [It] was probably one of the best practices we had all year. And then just watching the first five minutes, the way we were defending, the way we were passing the basketball, I just knew that we were going to kind of dominate this game just from the standpoint of, I thought our tone defensively really, I think I surprised them a little bit.”
Donta Scott on how satisfying the win vs. Rutgers is
“Very satisfying because we work hard and we go at it every day at practice and we compete against each other and we been [dealt] with a couple tough cards where we fell short so this win today meant a lot.”
Scott on the second matchup vs. Rutgers
“I know Jahmir, him and the ball screens is tough to guard, so he gets downhill a lot, makes a couple easy passes to [Julian], but that opened up a lot for the other guys to knock down shots. JG hit one, Jamie hit one. A couple of those guys just knocked down shots and luckily I was there to pick up the slack and just knock down some more shots.”
Willard on Maryland’s run to end the first half
“In the first game. I think we’re only up, ended up being up for it at half and it really should have been 14 or 15 to be honest with you. We talked about that at the under seven timeout was guys just like, you know, let’s keep on defending. We were getting good opportunities. I thought Jordan Geronimo’s offensive rebounds really changed the complexion of the game. He got some big ones late in the first half. And then when we were kind of there, they were going through a run, he got two monster ones again. So I thought his energy and his offensive rebounding really was the difference in the game.”
Scott on how his knee feels with the brace
“It’s not the best right now, but I’m getting better every day. I had sprained my MCL and that happened at the Illinois game right before it, that’s why I didn’t start. But I said [as] long as I can jump a little bit, move a little bit, I’m going out there and giving it my all.”
Willard on the production from Geronimo, DeShawn Harris-Smith
“I think what, DeShawn and Jamie [Kaiser Jr.] what you’re seeing is more or less the maturation of being a freshman in this league. Gain a little bit more confidence, understanding what’s gonna happen when you go down the lane, understanding defenses. I think you’re seeing them just kind of make the progression. That’s kind of what you want to see freshmen do…especially with the way the COVID year is, they’re making things. And then Jordan, when Jordan plays that way on the offensive glass, because again, they weren’t playing them. They were zoning out. They put [Mawot] Mag in the dunker spot and just try to zone out and try to take away Ju’s post up. I’m like, [Jordan Geronimo], that’s free runs, man. Like when we shoot it and we know we don’t shoot it great, like go get it and he did a great job doing it.”
Scott on the performances from Julian Reese & Jordan Geronimo
“I feel like that’s who Geronimo [has] got to be. I feel like some guys don’t have their identities all the way. I feel like he’s stepping into his identity a little bit more as we get later in the season. I feel like that’s really good for him. And JuJu is JuJu. He does the same thing every day — bicker and get hype and yell at the other opponents and stuff, but it’s all good.”
Willard on Jahmir Young’s performance vs. Rutgers
“Nine assists…I think at times he does press and I think sometimes when teams are aggressive now with his pick and roll, it kind of helps him a little bit because he’s making really, really good — he’s making point guard decisions. He’s making really good plays. If you think about it, he struggled from the free throw line a little bit tonight. He probably has 17, 18 points and nine assists and needing that to be superman that just tells you how efficient of a player he is.”
Willard on Maryland returning to College Park
“Northwestern is terrific and the job they’ve done since [Ty] Berry’s gone out is tremendous. And Indiana, although they’re struggling, their inside game really wore us out. So we have two games, we gotta get back and start gameplanning for a really good Northwestern [team], but I think being at home again for two games, we got to take advantage of it.”
Scott on his positional preference
“For me, it don’t matter. Whatever coach needs…I just want to win at the end of the day. And I feel capable that I can guard multiple spots, especially when I get my leg out.”
Scott on the mentality in practice through the tough stretch
“He’s a really good player, breaking a lot of records over there and I feel like this is one that we can go get as long as we just have the same mindset. It’s never over till it’s over. We just want to go out there and give it our all for these next games. So I’m just trying to instill the mindset of just competitiveness and just going out there and competing.”
Scott on playing at Maryland for so long
“It’s always a pleasure seeing people all over again just like it was the first day. That mean that you’re still, you’re at least doing something right if people still want you around.”
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