Before the Maryland men’s basketball team emerged from the tunnel for the second half against Oklahoma State, assistant coach Bino Ranson gathered the players in the bowels of Xfinity Center and listed aspects the Terps needed to improve to overcome their 43-35 deficit.
The last item he mentioned was passion. He preached for the Terps to exert all of their energy in the final period. It had been a sloppy first 20 minutes. The team committed 13 turnovers en route to its fifth intermission deficit in eight outings this season.
Then Ranson raised his fist in the middle of the huddle, and the Terps gathered around before trotting out to a roar from the 17,391 fans in Xfinity Center.
Maryland’s staff watched from the sideline as its halftime plea for intensity developed into an 11-0 run midway through the period. It featured fist pumps from forward Damonte Dodd and court-side stomping from coach Mark Turgeon, and allowed for yet-again late hero Melo Trimble to rib the sixth-year coach’s enthusiasm as the two walked off the court with a 71-70 win.
“We just kept coming, kept coming,” Turgeon said. “Everybody in our circle, our team, knew we were going to win.”
Every win is important, but this one felt more so to Turgeon.
Despite missing 10 free throws and shooting 18.2 percent from deep, his team rebounded from its first loss of the season to earn a win that should highlight its NCAA tournament resume in a soft nonconference slate.
Here are my grades from the emotional escape.
Guard Melo Trimble: A-
After the game, Trimble gave Turgeon a hard time. The coach had been focused on an argument outside the huddle during one of the final timeouts, and the star junior had to remind his coach to channel his focus on the team.
The exchange signified the duo’s close relationship after a 63rd win in two-plus years together. Trimble’s late foul shots powered the victory, but the guard needs to find more efficiency from beyond the arc — he went 0-for-5 against the Cowboys. His 13 points and cool demeanor, however, enabled the playful postgame jab.
Guard Jaylen Brantley: A-
Trimble added the finishing touches, but Brantley’s play positioned the Terps for the comeback. The junior had 12 points, two rebounds and one assist in 22 minutes, leaving Turgeon impressed and Brantley confident. He was on the court to start the team’s 11 unanswered points, giving Trimble a break and providing hope he can develop into a dependable backcourt option.
Guard Anthony Cowan: B+
Turgeon has praised Cowan’s defense to start the season, and the freshman showed his poise and ability in limiting Cowboys guard Jawun Evans, one of the nation’s best scorers, to six points in the second half. Cowan (4 of 6 for 11 points) was Maryland’s most efficient shooter from the field with nifty moves through the lane, but he missed six free throws.
Forward Damonte Dodd: B+
Cowboys coach Brad Underwood admitted after the game Dodd was one of his favorite players on the Terps roster because “he really impacts the game, tremendously.” The senior’s contributions Saturday night helped shut down Underwood’s offense out of the break. After battling early foul trouble, Dodd finished with 12 points, eight rebounds — five of which were off the offensive boards and often for putbacks — and three blocks.
Forward L.G. Gill: B
About six minutes into the game, Gill lined up for his first trey in a Maryland uniform and sank it. It was the graduate transfer’s first basket en route to a seven-point, three-rebound burst. The former Duquesne had struggled to produce in the rotation to start the season, but he saw time at power forward and center to help shore up the frontcourt without injured forward Ivan Bender. The Terps need Gill to build on the performance as they search for reliable options in the paint.
