BALTIMORE — Coach Mark Turgeon yelled and crossed his arms in disappointment multiple times throughout the first half of the Maryland men’s basketball team’s game against Charlotte on Tuesday night.
The Terps took an eight-day break after their last game while students had final exams. Their rust was on display from tip-off, and Turgeon wasn’t pleased. His team turned the ball over 13 times in the opening period, and it trailed, 37-36, at halftime.
Though Maryland didn’t play up to its potential in the second half, the Terps pulled away to a 88-72 victory at Royals Farms Arena behind a combined 27 points from guards Melo Trimble and Kevin Huerter in the second frame.
“We weren’t very good early in the game,” Turgeon said. “We were just kind of standing around and couldn’t get into a rhythm. In the second half, we were much better and much more aggressive. Your offense always looks better when you’re hitting shots.”
Trimble led the Terps (12-1) with 21 points while guard Anthony Cowan finished with 16. Guard Jon Davis directed the 49ers’ (6-5) upset threat with a game-high 28 points.
Maryland looked rush against Charlotte’s full court press from the start, committing 13 turnovers in the half. Turgeon didn’t expect the 49ers to pressure, and the Terps forced passes while Charlotte capitalized with 14 points off turnovers in the frame.
Turgeon has emphasized his team plays best when feeding the ball low to open other opportunities around the court. Maryland, which shot 1-for-9 from the three-point line in the half, didn’t play that style until late in the frame.
The Terps have struggled to start quick earlier this season, but Turgeon said Maryland played two of its best first halves in the past two contests. The problem, however, resurfaced Tuesday. In most of those cases, guard Melo Trimble, who entered Tuesday with the most points per game on the team (17.7), spread the ball instead of taking over. Against the 49ers, Maryland’s star drew two early fouls, scoring four points on 12 opening-period minutes.
The Terps went on an 8-2 run before the break, capped with a backward layup from forward Michal Cekovsky, who pumped his fist and smiled as he walked back to the locker room. The 7,139 fans, who had remained quiet for most the half, let out their biggest cheer of the night.
“We’ve been through this all year being down at the beginning of games because of how we approach games,” Trimble said. “At halftime, Coach Turgeon gave us an earful, and we went out there and responded the right way.”
Maryland, which shot 10-for-16 from beyond the arc in the second half, brought more energy out of the locker room, but Charlotte hung around. Trimble, who often leads late runs, and Huerter helped the Terps pull away.
After scoring four consecutive points to begin the half, Huerter reached 10 with less than 13 minutes to play. The freshman, who Turgeon said is one of the best shooters he’s ever coached, found his stroke after entering the contest shooting 38 percent.
“We always stress to play inside-out,” Huerter said. “We try not to pass around the perimeter. We try to get a foul line or post touch every possession. We started to do that, our bigs started to play better and we started to hit shots.”
Trimble took over from there, as Maryland enters Big Ten play with one loss for the third straight year. Still, the Terps, who have won three games by one point, suffered lapses Tuesday.
Turgeon said the key for conference play, which begins Dec. 27 against Illinois, will be his squad’s health. Maryland has rarely had its entire frontcourt active all season, as forward Damonte Dodd missed his third consecutive game Tuesday with a sprained left MCL. Turgeon also said multiple players suffered the stomach flu this week. Those setbacks, Turgeon said, have made it difficult for his team to build chemistry in practices.
The sixth-year coach plans to give his players a few days off before the Terps prepare for their most important stretch yet.
“I feel great about my team. I really do,” Turgeon said. “They answer the bell every time. Hopefully, when we come back from Christmas, we’ll have guys healthy and we’ll be ready to go.”
