By Stephen Whyno
Senior staff writer
Less than 40 seconds into the game, junior forward Ekene Ibekwe electrified the Comcast Center crowd as he dribbled to the hoop and pulled up for a perfect jump shot.
But even after first getting the Terrapin men’s basketball team on the board and tying the game at two, Ibekwe was just getting started.
Minutes later, he tipped in a D.J. Strawberry errant three-pointer and a back-iron Nik Caner-Medley jumper. He added his own jumper and foul shot and stole the ball from Boston College’s Tyrese Rice, dunking it and giving the Terps a 13-8 lead.
By the time six minutes had elapsed, Ibekwe boasted 11 of the Terps’ 13 points and a 5-for-5 mark from the field. By game’s end, he tied a career high and posted a season-high 21 points.
Ibekwe said he drew his fast start from the home crowd and he and his teammates were up for their first conference game of the season and Boston College’s first-ever ACC matchup. During the first six minutes, his perfect shooting kept the Terps from falling behind as the rest of the team shot 0-for-5 from the field during that time.
Against the No. 6-ranked team in the nation, the Terps relied on Ibekwe’s early energy to jump in front by as much as six points midway through the first half.
“That was huge for us,” senior forward Travis Garrison said. “That’s what we needed. Usually we start off the game slow … but for him getting off like he was, it was great for us.”
With just over 13 minutes left in the first half, Williams gave Ibekwe a breather, even though he had yet to make a mistake on the court.
“He just told me I was doing a good job being real aggressive, going after the offensive boards,” Ibekwe said. “Just playing real strong inside, giving my team some inside presence.”
Ibekwe didn’t falter inside, even while contending with the Eagles’ inside muscle of Craig Smith and Jared Dudley.
“It was his toughest game where he played really well,” coach Gary Williams said. “Both Smith and Dudley are amazing inside. Those guys, they’re big and strong.”
The inside combination of Ibekwe and Garrison held Dudley, Boston College’s leading scorer, to 12 points on 6-of-15 shooting and forced Smith to foul out with 54 seconds left.
Ibekwe corralled a season-high nine rebounds while battling against Smith, who outweighed him by 30 pounds. He called the game “a real war,” and survived it, playing a career-high 34 minutes without fouling out.
“I just told myself if I stay out of foul trouble, I can play longer on the court,” Ibekwe said. “Obviously my team needs me and I want to be out there for them, to play strong, to play big inside.”
Williams said he was proud of his junior big-man for not fouling out against Dudley and Smith.
When Boston College inbounded the ball with 2.2 seconds left in the game and the Terps up by two, it was Ibekwe who chased the loose throw down and ran out the clock.
Early in the game – when shots weren’t falling – it was Ibekwe’s play that kept the Terps from falling into bad habits and handed the Eagles their second straight loss.
“As long as Ekene keeps playing that well like that, we should have no problem winning any game,” senior guard Chris McCray said.
Contact reporter Stephen Whyno at whynodbk@gmail.com.