About 14 minutes into Maryland men’s basketball’s Friday night season opener against Stony Brook, guard Anthony Cowan dribbled the ball past halfcourt with his head up, scanning the floor for a teammate.

For the first time in his college career, Cowan was the lone orchestrater of the offense.

With a flick of his wrist, Cowan found forward Bruno Fernando for an alley-oop. The emphatic score marked Fernando’s first-career bucket and gave Maryland a 28-13 lead, forcing the Seawolves to call timeout.

In Maryland’s first game of the post-Melo Trimble era, Cowan finished with four assists. The sophomore also led the team with 15 points in an easy 76-61 win.

[Read more: Maryland men’s basketball dominates Stony Brook, 76-61, in season opener]

His alley-oop pass highlighted a more cohesive performance than the Terps showed in their first game last season, when they only beat American by six points at Xfinity Center. Maryland racked up 12 assists Friday, largely the result of smooth passing from the perimeter into the paint.

Instead of missing a step without Trimble, who led the team in scoring three straight years, Maryland displayed little offensive timidness, sharing the rock patiently until Stony Brook’s defense split open.

That level of ball movement must continue with a showdown against Butler looming next Wednesday.

Forward Justin Jackson: A-

Jackson followed a summer of NBA draft hype with a cool double-double and a bevy a new moves that’ll get the attention of scouts. Early in the first half, he coerced a defender into the air with a ball fake before patiently stepping under him for an easy basket. He converted a twisting reverse layup with his right hand on the left side of the basket. And with the game out of reach in the second period, he delivered a sweet off-hand dish to Fernando, setting up a dunk in transition.

The one complaint about Jackson’s performance was his 0-for-4 effort from 3-point range, including an ugly shot that inadvertently glanced off the backboard.

Guard Anthony Cowan: A

Given the keys to the offense, Cowan appeared in control, putting up 15 points on 4-for-8 shooting. His quickness pulled Stony Brook defenders out of position, and limiting his miscues to just two turnovers helped the Terps keep a comfortable advantage in the second half.

Center Michal Cekovsky: A-

Cekovsky put up seven shots — three from the field and four from the line — and didn’t miss. For a 51 percent free throw shooter last season, his performance was impressive. Like Jackson, Cekovsky’s offensive game showed signs of offseason work. On one occasion, he converted an off-balance left-handed post shot through contact, a sign he can be a key change-of-pace scorer this season if he remains healthy.

Forward Bruno Fernando: B+

Aside from fumbling the ball at times, perhaps brought on by debut jitters, Fernando could not have been much more efficient in his 13 minutes. He finished with 10 points — mostly from dunks — and a pair of rebounds. His ability to run the floor with Maryland’s guards in transition will be something to keep an eye on moving forward.