Terrapins roll to third-straight 30-point victory in romp over Florida A&M

COLLEGE PARK — Behind Julian Reese’s 21 points and 9 rebounds, Maryland won its 11th-straight non-conference home game Monday night, surviving a rock fight of a first half before taking control and rolling over Florida A&M 84-53.

Reese was joined by four other Terrapins scoring in double figures — Selton Miguel (14), Ja’Kobi Gillespie (12), Derik Queen (11) and Rodney Rice (10) — in providing Maryland’s third-straight win by 30 or more points, a first to open a season in program history.

“I do think that that starting unit kind of knows that there’s no pressure on one guy, where, obviously, we felt a lot of pressure last year, if Jahmir [Young] didn’t play at a certain level, we were in trouble,” coach Kevin Willard said. “And I think everyone’s starting to realize that there’s a lot of really good players on this team that can help everybody out.”

After Queen and Rice posted 20-plus point performances in Maryland’s first two games, Reese’s effort also gives Maryland its third-different 20-point scorer in three-straight games for the first time since 2001.

“I feel like it’s helping us build trust in each other, you know?,” Reese said. “I feel like we’re a very versatile team where anybody can have a good night. Derik had a good first night, Rodney second night off the bench was electric. And I feel like tonight was just my night.”

“There is a little bit of a learning curve and getting guys to understand A, how unselfish Julian is, which he has been really unselfish. But at the same time, knowing that he’s down there. And so we’ve talked about that the last, really the last week and a half, and I think guys are starting to realize,” Willard said.

Florida A&M was led by Tyler Shirley’s 10 as it struggled with ball control, turning it over 22 times leading to 31 Maryland points. The Terrapins recorded their best shooting percentage of the season (48%) in the win.

Maryland (3-0) opened the game on a 15-0 run, as Florida A&M turned the ball over on four of its first five possessions — part of their 13 in the half — along with committing five fouls in less than 4 minutes.

“I think we’re putting really good pressure. I think we’re creating some turnovers. We’re getting some deflections. So I think defensively, I like where we’re at,” Willard said, “and I think we can get much better defensively.”

The Rattlers (0-3) would snap out of it, however, and closed the gap with a 12-2 run to trail by 5. Soon after, both teams, only meeting for the second time, would combine for a nearly 6-minute scoring drought, with 13 missed shots dragging the limited energy from a light holiday crowd to near silence.

“Anytime you sub five guys at a time, you’re gonna - and then you keep subbing, I just, I’m trying to get everybody minutes early in games and kind of get guys real game experience,” Willard said of going deep into his rotation, which contributed to the scoring funk.  “And I think once we got a 15-nothing [lead], the bench guys didn’t come in with the same intensity that the starting group came in [with]. So I think it was a little bit of a lull on me playing probably too many guys.”

The Terrapins would shake off the slump to take control late in the half. Buckets from Reese, Miguel, Gillespie and Rice powered Maryland to a 9-0 run, then another surge put the Terrapins on an 18-5 streak and a 40-21 lead into the break.

Maryland looked more smooth out of halftime, stringing together more complimentary possessions as the Rattlers continued to struggle with turnovers and missed shots. 

Everyone got into the act, with three-pointers from Gillespie, Rice and Miguel contributing to a 23-4 Maryland run in the first 13:36 of the second half that lifted the Terrapins to a 64-25 lead and put the game away.

“It was just the rhythm, you know, keep pressing that tends to open up a lot for us,” Miguel sais. “[When] we’re in transition, it was just a lot of open shots for us. So it just felt good, and I took them shots.”

Now past the midpoint of a season-opening five-game homestand, the Terrapins’ attention turns more serious this weekend, as they welcome No. 15 Marquette in their first true test of the year.

NOTE: Willard paid tribute to John Brown, a program supporter and longtime owner of College Park restaurant and bar R.J. Bentley’s, who died this past weekend.

“My first beer in College Park was at Bentley’s with John … He was tight with everybody. He was just someone - he was just a good person,” Willard said. “Go have a beer and sit at the bar with him, and he’d tell some great stories. We lost a very, very good, important man to Maryland basketball.”