The Maryland men’s basketball team rode a two-game winning streak on Interstate 95 to arrive at Rutgers looking to salvage some glory late in the Big Ten schedule.
However, the Terps faltered and were unable to match the Scarlet Knights’ second-half pace, ultimately losing 68-57. That gave the Scarlet Knights their first regulation win in the Big Ten and their first win by more than three points in the Western Conference.
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Here are three takeaways from the game.
everything starts slow
Maryland has been plagued by off nights from shooters all season long. From one game to the next, there’s no telling which Terp will take off.
Sometimes, that means none of them do.
It took a Terp more than 13 minutes to complete two shots. Deegie Coit finally did, draining his second jumper of the night. Darius Adams and Solomon Washington each had seven points on 3-pointers in the game — accounting for half of Maryland’s field goals before halftime.
It was an ugly first half. The two teams combined to shoot 22-for-64 from the field and 3-for-22 from three-point range, while committing a combined 14 turnovers. That doesn’t inspire confidence in either team.
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The lack of confidence has also spread to the players. There were several times where Maryland seemed to be running the ball, which it should have been taking over in its first two games.
Almost all of the offensive changes that gave Maryland the energy over the past two games are gone. The Terps resumed isolation possessions, with players stuck in their spots and rarely trying to get open.
With 6:15 left in the first half, a series of unfortunate events ensued that perfectly summed up the night.
Isaiah Watts appeared to force a Rutgers player into an out-of-bounds fumble, but the referee gave the ball to the Scarlet Knights. Maryland head coach Buzz Williams decided to challenge the decision and won, giving his team new life.
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However, Coit took a five-second violation on the ensuing inbounds pass, giving the ball to Rutgers. But another fumble by Rutgers’ JaMychal Davis on an inbounds ball brought the ball back to Maryland. That resulted in three changes of possession, with not a second passing in one of the strangest hot potato sequences of the season.
When the referees laughed – and they did at the end of the exchange – it was a clear sign that things weren’t going as planned.
No heroic returns for Coit and Adams
Coit and Adams are two players on this Maryland team whose hometowns are closest to the Old Line State. None of them are natives of Maryland, though: They come from two New Jersey towns, each about an hour away from state institutions.
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Returning to Rutgers is a rare homecoming — Adams played his first college game in the Garden State, while Coit last played at both schools in New Jersey in December 2023 — and both players are shooting.
They were Maryland’s top and second-highest scorers on the afternoon. Unfortunately for the Terps, they were extremely ineffective.
Adams scored a team-leading 13 points on 5-for-12 shooting, but all six of his second-half points came with the game already decided. He missed multiple layups and only got to the free throw line once, something Maryland’s best driver couldn’t see.
Coit, meanwhile, scored 12 points on 5-for-19 shooting but failed to get to the free throw line. After missing some open shots from beyond 3-point range in the first half, he gave it his all in the second half.
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With six minutes left and the Terps trailing by seven, Coit made six of Maryland’s eight field goals, including four in a row. He hit just one field goal in six shots. The Terps can’t afford to watch him fail to break out of his slump — but there aren’t many better options to turn to.
Mixed bags around basket
According to Williams, the purpose of adding Colin Metcalf to the starting lineup last week was to help address Maryland’s rebounding issues on both ends of the floor.
Against Rutgers, it worked. Metcalf grabbed 6 offensive rebounds and Washington grabbed an astonishing 14 rebounds for a double-double.
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The rebounding success didn’t stop the Terps from getting bullied in the post, though. Rutgers’ offense early in the second half was fueled by intentional touches in the zone. Time and time again, the Scarlet Knights got the ball to 6-foot-10, 260-pound center Emmanuel Ogbole, who would draw attention before redistributing along the perimeter.
But eventually, Rutgers stopped giving the ball away. They found success with solid jump shots and layups, scoring 12 points in the paint and constantly drawing Maryland fouls on drives or catches. With their top big man still on the bench in street clothes, the Terps didn’t have any answers.