It seemed like every time Maryland men’s basketball forward Michal Cekovsky raised his arms to defend the paint in the first half of Saturday’s game, the Saint Peter’s ball handler would travel. If the Peacocks managed a shot, the 7-foot-1 junior often swatted it away.

While his performance Saturday afternoon at Xfinity Center didn’t feature the same flashy statistics or highlight-reel plays, Cekovsky’s eight-point, three-rebound, three-assist and two-block outing underscored his prominence on this year’s squad.

Maryland lacks frontcourt depth, and Cekovsky, after battling injuries that lingered throughout the fall into the start of the season, is the team’s best option.

That’s why Cekovsky’s surge can’t end when the team’s nonconference slate does next week. If the Terps want to be successful in Big Ten play, they’ll need to rely on Cekovsky’s consistency down low.

“Definitely I’m feeling more comfortable on defense and offense, so it’s getting better every game,” Cekovsky said last week. “I’m getting better every game.”

Perhaps the team’s soft scheduling has contributed to the Slovakian big man’s rise. After all, he was at least a head taller than every Saint Peter’s player. Previous foes, such as Stony Brook and Howard, didn’t have a response on the post, either.

But those mid-majors aren’t the sole reason his offense has improved from his first two seasons in College Park. He combined to shoot 17-for-23 for 35 points in the contests with spin moves and strength in traffic. He’s reached double-digit points four times, including a career-high 16 twice.

He didn’t play with that awareness and confidence as an underclassman, when he was still learning to speak English and adjusting to the physicality and grind of the college level.

Coach Mark Turgeon has commended Cekovsky’s growth. But the sixth-year coach noted the strides Cekovsky, whom Turgeon admitted he’s coached harder than anyone else on the team, should make in the coming weeks.

In the second half against the Peacocks, the Terps ran isolation with Cekovsky in the paint on three consecutive possessions. On the first, he missed a layup. Next, he passed up a shot to send a cross-court pass toward guard Dion Wiley beyond the arc, which Saint Peter’s intercepted. The Peacocks pulled a second defender down and stuffed him at the rim on the third try.

“What we have to do is start doing the little things better,” Turgeon said, “and that’s really what it’s about.”

If Cekovsky can polish the details, such as rotating on defense and timing up lobs on offense, Maryland will reap benefits across the court.

For one, it’ll have an established veteran to anchor the frontcourt.

Forward Damonte Dodd, who’s out through at least Monday’s game against Jacksonville State, has battled injuries to start his senior campaign. Dodd’s post defense is the squad’s best, but he has a penchant for fumbling passes on offense. Meanwhile, forward Ivan Bender, a welcome addition to the rotation and a much-improved prospect from last season, is better suited to play off the bench.

Cekovsky will also help free Maryland’s guards from beyond the arc. The Terps have a 31.1 three-point shooting percentage. With a trio of talented freshmen to complement star guard Melo Trimble, that number must rise.

That priority should start with keeping Cekovsky in his groove.