COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jake Layman’s recent offensive numbers tell a story of struggles.

The Terrapins men’s basketball forward has scored 10 combined points in his past two games — a Big Ten semifinal loss to Michigan State last weekend in the Big Ten tournament and Friday night’s win over No. 13-seed Valparaiso in the NCAA tournament second round. He attempted just four shots in those two contests, and against the Crusaders, his first and only attempt, a missed three, came with 1:46 left in regulation.

Looking further back, Layman hasn’t shot better than 50 percent from the field since Valentine’s Day, and he hasn’t scored more than 14 points since a Jan. 17 win over the Spartans in College Park.

All signs point to significant, lingering issues that are only getting worse for the junior swingman.

In reality, though, that’s far from the case.

One of the biggest differences in Layman’s game this season is his willingness to affect games without producing offensively. He admitted Saturday that as a younger player, he let his offense impact other facets of his game. If he wasn’t scoring, his defense and rebounding suffered.

Layman no longer lets that occur. And it’s largely because he now understands the importance of defense. After all, it’s the fundamental reason the Terps have rattled off nine wins in their past 10 games. They’ve only let three teams shoot better than 40 percent from the field during the stretch. One of those team was Michigan State at the Big Ten tournament.

There’s no better example of this maturation and change in mentality for Layman than Friday night’s win. With Valparaiso settling into a 2-3 zone, Layman’s most efficient offensive weapons — his post moves and slashing ability — were rendered ineffective. Instead, he took on a facilitating role while teammates like freshman Jared Nickens, who drilled four three-pointers in the first half, sparked the offense.

“It’s tough when they’re playing zone most of the game to really be aggressive,” said Layman, who pulled down five rebounds and dished out an assist Friday night to go along with his four points. “I’m more of the guy passing the ball and trying to make the right play.”

Layman wasn’t scoring. He wasn’t even getting open looks. But he continued to work at the defensive end and on the boards while matching up with Crusaders top scorer Alec Peters, the 6-foot-8 forward with a silky shooting stroke.

“I thought Jake was terrific last night,” coach Mark Turgeon said Saturday.

A tricky zone defense, though, is not an excuse for Layman’s performance against the Spartans in Chicago, the Terps’ lone loss since Feb. 8. He scored six points on 1 of 3 shooting and appeared to lack aggressiveness offensively — a theme for the junior over the last couple months.

For guard Richaud Pack, there’s an easy explanation: Layman is a lethal threat, and opponents are starting to realize that.

“People don’t want him to shoot because he makes shots. It’s that simple,” Pack said. “Teams are going to try to take Jake away, load up on him on the dribble, switch out, put guards on him on the perimeter and make it hard for him to get shots up.”

Turgeon said last weekend that Michigan State did an exceptional job disrupting Layman. Whenever the fourth-year coach ran set plays for the forward, the Spartans doubled the ball to force Layman to give it up.

They weren’t going to let him beat them. It’s an approach the Terps will see often as they advance deeper in the NCAA tournament. Teams are no longer going to overlook Layman. He’s just too talented.

Pack believes the Terps can sustain their success without Layman providing on the offensive end. That’s not to say teammates won’t welcome his points with open arms, though.

“We’re better when he is scoring,” Pack said. “But we can be just as successful as long as he’s consistently contributing the way that he [has].”

Sunday night’s third-round matchup with West Virginia will offer a chance for Layman to attack. The Mountaineers press relentlessly and play in-your-face half-court defense. Layman sees that as an opportunity.

Nonetheless, guard Dez Wells said he won’t approach Layman about being more aggressive.

As they’ve done all season, the Terps will let Jake be Jake.

“Jake is confident. He’ll be back. He’ll be ready to play tomorrow,” Wells said Saturday. “We’re not worried about that at all.”