COLLEGE PARK, Maryland — The Maryland Terrapins have had a busy week. They won two games — against Arizona State and No. 13 Iowa State - to win the CBE Classic in Kansas City, Mo., lost their leading scorer, and then won two more at home.
Sunday night’s 95-77 win over VMI completed a most eventful seven days for the Terrapins.
“When we walked off the court in Kansas City, I was like, ’man we’re really good,” coach Mark Turgeon said.
Then, Turgeon learned that Dez Wells would miss four weeks with a broken bone in his right wrist.
“It wasn’t even 24 hours later. I can’t even enjoy it for 24 hours,” Turgeon said. “You had an emotional high and an emotional low for our team.”
After the news about Wells, Maryland struggled through a five-point win over unheralded Monmouth on Friday, a game that found Turgeon’s team flat.
The Terrapins (7-0) were much better against the Keydets (2-4).
Richaud Pack scored 22 points while Jake Layman, Melo Trimble and and Dion Wiley each had 19. Maryland ran off 13 straight points to take a 68-53 lead with 12:11 left as VMI (2-4) went scoreless for nearly 4 ½ minutes.
Wiley, a freshman starting for the first time in his career, had 17 of his points in the second half. Pack had 16 of his points in the first half. In his three previous games, Pack missed all 13 of his shots from the field. He was 10 for 13 against the Keydets.
“It was really good to get out of a slump. I’ve never had a slump. I probably had one bad shooting game, but never two in a row,” Pack said.
VMI has lost three straight, allowing 213 points in its previous two losses to UNC Wilmington and West Virginia. They were led by Craig Hinton, who had 23 - hitting all six of his 3-point attempts. QJ Peterson had 18.
’They held us to our lowest 3-point percentage all year,” coach Duggar Baucom said. “We had way too many turnovers.”
VMI took a 42-39 lead after Tim Marshall made a 3-pointer and Peterson hit two free throws with 2:24 left in the first half.
Pack scored nine straight to help the Terrapins capture a 49-45 lead at halftime.
TIP-INS:
VMI: The Keydets hadn’t faced Maryland since Dec. 31, 2005 when they lost 99-68. That was VMI’s first game against the Terrapins since 1953.
Maryland: F Evan Smotrycz played eight minutes all in the first half and didn’t score. He suffered a left ankle injury. That’s the same foot that he injured, causing him to miss the first five games of the season. Cekovsky was taken to the locker room with a sprained left ankle early in the second half, but returned to the game a few minutes later. He scored 10 points on 5 for 6 from the field.
GREAT START:
Wiley scored the game’s first two points - and didn’t score again in the first half. He felt more comfortable in the second half.
“I played more aggressive, played how I did in high school,” Wiley said.
DEFENSIVE CHANGE:
Trimble said Maryland’s defense was much better in the second half.
“We struggled in the first half with our defense. We weren’t paying attention to detail on the shooters and the drivers,” Trimble said.
The second half was different. “We decided to lock out and stretch the lead out.”
UP NEXT:
VMI: Hosts Mid-Atlantic Christian on Tuesday
Maryland: Hosts No. 8 Virginia on Wednesday
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