NEWARK, N.J. — Derik Queen struggled throughout the first half of Sunday’s game against Villanova. Maryland’s prized freshman big man scored only four points and couldn’t take care of the ball coughing it up four times. The Terps trailed by 12 going into halftime and Maryland needed a spark. Queen provided one.

With 14:03 remaining in the second half, Queen held the ball at the free throw line. He matched up on senior forward Enoch Boakye and drove left toward the basket. The Baltimore native got past Boakye and rose up with both hands as he clutched the ball. 

Queen slammed it through the hoop, providing a crucial bucket as Boakye attempted to block the shot. The dunk started a 15-3 run which put the Terps ahead for the first time since early in the first quarter.    

The game became a back-and-forth affair after that, but Maryland (5-1) ultimately defeated Villanova (3-4), 76-75, Sunday afternoon at the Prudential Center earning its second win against the Wildcats in school history.

“[Queen is] such a talented player, the game comes easy to him,” said head coach Kevin Willard. “But I would say he was a little too lackadaisical, a little bit too cool in the first half, and I think he got a little pissed off in the second half. And I think when he plays that way, he’s as good as anybody there is.” 

The game remained close even after Queen’s momentous slam.  

With just over a minute remaining in the game, Villanova forward Eric Dixon caught a pass from Jhamir Brickus behind the three-point line. Dixon rose up and buried the shot giving Villanova a one point lead with less than a minute to play. 

Queen countered on the other end. He drove to the hoop and converted on a tough contested layup. The Wildcats went back to Dixon on the subsequent possession and he cashed in with a layup of his own. 

Now trailing by one, Queen made another drive to the bucket but he was fouled in the process, sending the freshman to the free throw line in the game’s biggest moment. Queen converted both of them — rectifying a pair of charity stripe misses from earlier in the game.

“Just make two free throws and … I don’t like to miss out on free points,” Queen said. 

As the clock counted down from three on the game’s final play, Villanova got the ball in the hands of Dixon. The graduate forward chucked up a three-point shot that rattled off the rim to the roar of a Prudential Center crowd that was dominated by Maryland faithful.

“We just didn’t come out and play physical with him to start,” said Willard. “You also got to give him a lot of credit. He made a lot of tough shots and played really well.”

Dixon finished as the game’s leading scorer producing a new career high 38 points. He made 15 of his 29 shot attempts and converted five three-pointers. 22 of those points came in the first half.   

For Maryland, Queen finished with a double-double — 22 points and 11 rebounds — and the honor of being named the Saatava Empire Classic MVP for his role in sparking the Terps’ 12 point comeback victory. 

Maryland’s second-half turnaround provided complete contrast from its dull showing in the opening 20 minutes.

The Terps struggled to take care of the ball from tip-off and it severely limited the Terps’ offense. 

The Wildcats’ defense swarmed the Maryland offense — particularly in the paint — forcing 11 turnovers in the first half. Seven of the turnovers came from the Terps’ big men combo of Queen and Julian Reese. The duo struggled with Villanova’s double — and sometimes triple — teams.

Maryland’s outside shooters didn’t provide any relief either. Rodney Rice was the only Terp to make a three-point shot in the first half, draining two.  

The Wildcats’ took advantage of their first half defensive pressure turning those turnovers into 13 points and holding Maryland under 41 percent from the floor. 

In stark contrast, the Terps only turned the ball over two times in the second half and out rebounded the Wildcats, 18-14, including a ten to eight margin in offensive rebounds. 

The offense hummed in the final 20 minutes due to better ball control. Maryland shot over 58 percent from the floor and made just under 45 percent of its three’s. 

The Terps carried that offensive success over to the defensive end holding Villanova to 35 points and 44 percent shooting from the floor. 

Maryland’s win came with heightened significance. It was by far the Terps’ strongest win of the season by KenPom rankings, as the Wildcats sit at No. 61, even after the loss. Heading into the day, Maryland’s best win was against Mount Saint Mary’s, a team that KenPom ranks 273rd in the country.  

“I feel like it builds confidence with the team,” Reese said. “It’s a great win especially … how we bounced back the way we did.”

The Terps play once more before the Thanksgiving holiday in a matchup against Bucknell on Wednesday in College Park.