Selton Miguel darted for the corner with his right hand in a position almost like he was calling for a pass, only he was on defense. The fifth year guard was in perfect position to corral Jocobi Hendricks’ pass — his first steal of the season — yanking it into his possession.
Miguel sprinted down the middle of the court on a one man fastbreak and finished through contact, putting Maryland up by 13 late in the first half. The Terps ended the last five minutes on an 18-5 scoring run that gave them a 19 point advantage going into halftime.
Maryland (3-0) used the scoring run to pull away from Florida A&M (0-3) coasting to a 84-53 win Monday night, becoming the first team in school history to win their first three games by 30 or more points.
The Terps’ win was rarely in question throughout the night after they started the game on a 15-0 scoring run, the biggest run to start a game since 2012. Freshman phenom Derik Queen was responsible for starting the action.
Queen was directly responsible for the first six points of the game scoring the first three and assisting on Miguel’s and-1 bucket. Queen finished the game with 11 points and three assists.
The Terps full court press contributed heavily to their strong start, forcing multiple ten second violations that led to points on subsequent offensive possessions. Maryland scored 18 points off the 13 turnovers they forced in the first 20 minutes.
“I liked our defensive intensity from the start,” said head coach Kevin Willard. “I thought it was really good. I thought it set the tone.”
Their suffocating defense continued into the second half adding nine to their turnover total. Maryland scored 31 points off those turnovers.
“The pressing as a team opens up a lot for us and, you know, we’re in positions [where there] is a lot of open shots for us,” Miguel said.
In addition to those points, the Terps witnessed a dominant performance from senior Julian Reese. Reese was a rebound shy of collecting his first double-double of the season — 21 points, nine rebounds — following a season in which he ranked second in the Big Ten with 15 such stat lines.
It’s a welcome sign for Maryland considering the six-foot-nine forward shot the ball a total of eight times in the Terps first two games. Reese finished the game eight for 12 from the floor, setting a new season high in shot attempts and points.
“There is a little bit of a learning curve and get the guys to understand, A how unselfish Julian is, which he has been really unselfish, but at the same time, know that he’s down there,” Willard said.
Miguel finished the game as the Terps second leading scorer with a season high 14 points. The USF transfer shot 55.6 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range.
“He’s getting there,” said Willard. “[He’s] working hard at it at, again, it’s his third school, his third offense, his third coach … I have a lot of confidence in Selton.”
Five Terps finished the game in double figures, scoring 80 or more points in two of their first three games of the season for the first time under Willard. Maryland ended the game shooting 48.4 percent from the floor, 27.6 percent from three, and 66.7 percent from the free throw line.
The Terps will attempt to carry their hot start into their biggest challenge yet — a home matchup against No. 15 Marquette — Friday night. Ben Strober and Jack Susanin will be on the call for WMUCSports.
