BALTIMORE — Midway through the second half Saturday, Terrapins men’s basketball guard Rasheed Sulaimon stood on the left side of the floor with his feet behind the 3-point line and the Terps holding a double-digit advantage. He calmly surveyed the floor and saw forward Jake Layman streaking in from the right baseline.
So Sulaimon tossed the ball into the air as Layman soared above the hoop, catching the ball and slamming it through the rim to bring the Terps fans in attendance at Royal Farms Arena to their feet.
That alley-oop was one of many highlights for Layman, who had a season-high 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting and a game-high eight rebounds. Behind Layman, one of four Terps with double-digit points, the No. 6 Terps pulled away from Princeton in the second half and cruised to a comfortable 82-61 victory despite the Tigers’ new-look 3-2 zone.
Layman’s point totals have fluctuated from game to game this season. The senior had 15 points — all in the second half — in a 75-71 win over Georgetown on Nov. 17 but had just four points in an 89-81 loss to No. 11 North Carolina a week later. He responded with 16 points the next game, but heading into Saturday had scored a combined 15 in the past two contests.
But besides the Tar Heels loss, the Terps haven’t faltered when Layman’s shot has been off, as his teammates have picked up the slack.
Saturday just happened to be Layman’s night, the senior said.
“On any given night one guy can come up big for us,” Layman said. “It’s just how we work.”
He looked for his shot early. On the first possession of the game, he hit a wide-open 3-pointer from the left corner. When Layman had 16 points against St. Francis (PA), he scored on the Terps’ first possession, as well.
But Layman and the Terps couldn’t pull away early. Tigers forward Henry Caruso, who entered with a team-high 18.5 points per game, had eight points less than seven minutes into the game. He then nailed a 3-pointer with 6:36 left in the first half from three-point range.
With the Terps (10-1) struggling to break down the Tigers’ (6-3) zone, which they debuted Saturday, coach Mark Turgeon burned a timeout after Caruso’s 3-pointer and inserted Sulaimon for center Diamond Stone. The move to a smaller lineup paid off, as the Terps went on a 16-2 run over the next three minutes, including six points from Layman.
“We weren’t prepared for the 3-2 zone at all,” Turgeon said. “Jake got us going, making some shots.”
Despite the late first half run, though, the Terps held just a 35-31 advantage at halftime.
But the Terps came out in the second half firing on all cylinders. They hit eight of their first 10 shots in the period. A dunk from Layman capped off the hot start and gave the Terps a 14-point lead.
“We shot too many jumpers at the start,” Turgeon said. “We really got it clicking in the second half.”
While Layman led the Terps, he had ample support, too. Guard Melo Trimble had 10 assists, four less than the entire Princeton team. Reserve guard Jaylen Brantley was second on the team with 14 points in 12 minutes, though most of his output came with the Terps boasting a big lead late in the game.
And freshman center Diamond Stone, who began the game on the bench for the fourth consecutive contest, provided energy with 11 points and six rebounds in 19 minutes.
“If things aren’t going so good I guess I’m that guy who turns things around,” Stone said. “Just provide a spark off the bench, that’s who I am.”
Before the season, Stone and other Terps said Layman was one of the veteran leaders on the team. While he’s struggled offensively in a handful of games this season, he’s kept his composure and stayed involved on the defensive end.
Layman’s reward for keeping his head up was another solid performance. After the game, he sat with Turgeon and Stone in front of a podium for the post-game press conference.
Before it started, a team spokesperson gestured to the trio. He wanted to make sure they were prepared for the barrage of questions.
Layman flashed a grin and extended his palms downward. There was no reason to worry. The senior leader had everything under control, just as he did all night.