By Megan Smedley
Maryland basketball was back to playing normal Maryland basketball on Sunday afternoon. After a rough week losing to Wisconsin and Minnesota, the Terps finally clicked and regained their momentum. They shot well, outrebounded, and sunk all the necessary free throws in their much-needed win over Michigan. Head coach Mark Turgeon said the game was an overall team effort.
“It’s the first time in maybe four or five weeks that they look like the team that we [are],” said Turgeon.
The Minnesota game definitely took a toll on Turgeon and the team. Turgeon said he had barely eaten in the days following the loss. At Saturday’s practice, Turgeon wanted to make sure the team was having fun playing the game.
“We gotta smile more,” said Turgeon. “Of course I didn’t do my part. But I don’t like turnovers and I don’t like layups. And so I didn’t smile enough.”
“We smiled more,” laughed junior forward Damonte Dodd. “I don’t think Coach Turgeon smiled too much.”
“Melo’s a happy smiley guy; I smile from time to time; Sheed, he never smiles,” laughed junior forward Robert Carter Jr.
Diamond Stone returned to the lineup following a one-game suspension. The Terps jumped out to an early with the help of a 14-0 run midway through the first half. Jake Layman was sinking threes and Melo was making his well-known layups. All was right in the world. Damonte Dodd was in full Dodzilla mode blocking shot after shot.
“I was happy for Damonte,” said Turgeon. “I think he finding his niche at the right time and really helping us.”
The Terps got strong minutes from Jaylen Brantley. Brantley nabbed five points, and a couple of steals all within a short four minutes. Michigan made a run just before the half, hitting consecutive threes. Maryland led 41-36 at the half with Diamond Stone leading the team with 10 points.
The second half was a different story. Both teams went back and forth with 10 lead changes. Every time Maryland would get to a comfortable lead, Michigan would come right back. Every time Maryland sunk a shot, Michigan responded. It was a battle until the end. Maryland’s defense struggled late, missing rebounds and leaving shots wide open. Mark Donnal had one of his best games of the year for Michigan scoring a game-high 25 points. But it was not enough. Derrick Walton Jr. fouled out of the game with 18 seconds left. Rasheed Sulaimon quickly sunk his free throws. After a Michigan three, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman fouled. This set up Maryland to be exactly where they wanted to be – with Melo Trimble on the foul line. Trimble easily sunk his shots, sealing the victory.
“I keep telling him (Melo) in practice the shot it’s going to fall eventually so just keep playing,” said Dodd. “He’s sacrificing a lot, approaching the ball everytime. He’s sacrificing his game.”
“I do think Melo looked more comfortable tonight,” said Turgeon. “Everybody makes so much of Melo (referring to his recent slump) but just remember this. We were 17-15 before he got here. We’re 51-12 since he’s been here. Don’t forget that guys. I love that kid.”
As Turgeon said, the victory was a complete team win. Four Terps scored double digits: Carter (17), Layman (16), Trimble (14), and Stone (13). The team also nabbed 18 points off the bench thanks to Dodd, Nickens, and Brantley.
“It’s a long season,” said Carter Jr. “You have ups and you have downs. And hopefully when it’s time to make that run (the tournament) you’re going up. I feel like it’s time for us to turn the curve and head up.”
With rankings coming out on Monday, the Terps are expected to drop due to the Minnesota, but the team is still 23-5 overall (11-4 BIG). The Terps will receive more practice this week without a game. They travel to Purdue on Saturday for what should be a highly competitive game.
