Why did the Maryland men’s basketball team start chucking 3-pointers from the opening tip Saturday night at Illinois? That couldn’t have been coach Mark Turgeon’s intended game plan after recent outings ended in victories via an inside-out approach.
The Terps were five days removed from forward Damonte Dodd’s powerful display in the paint against Indiana. A week ago at Michigan, the frontcourt players combined for 35 points.
Yet, inexplicably, the Terps went 1-for-9 from beyond the arc in the first seven-and-a-half minutes against a team they dominated less than three weeks earlier by feeding the ball down low.
Dodd and forward Justin Jackson’s early foul trouble didn’t help.
The senior triggered two whistles during the Terps’ cold stretch and didn’t return before the break. Jackson drew his second about a minute later. The starting duo totaled 12 first-half minutes, and left forwards Ivan Bender and L.G. Gill, both undersized and, at times, out-matched, to shoulder the load.
But the good news for the Terps was their frontcourt leaders played more consistent minutes after the break and a few key longballs swished to power the 62-56 victory.
Guards Anthony Cowan and Jaylen Brantley knocked down threes on consecutive possessions midway through the period. The latter hit another a few minutes later to spark his seven points on three consecutive possessions.
The Terps finished 6-for-22 from three, but their fourth victory in five Big Ten games came more from the guards’ aggression in the lane to contribute to 32 points in the paint.
Those conversions ensured it was Illinois hoisting desperation treys in the game’s waning moments.
Guard Jaylen Brantley: A-
Like the rest of the Terps, Brantley settled for poor looks in the first half, but he responded with a 12-point burst after the break. In a five-minute stretch, Brantley went 2 of 3 from deep to complement two rebounds, two layups and two steals, quieting the Illinois faithful. The junior has become the Terps most reliable reserve, and his confidence on offense and steadiness on defense shined Saturday.
Guard Melo Trimble: B-
It wasn’t a banner day for Trimble’s shooting, finishing 5-for-16, including 2-for-11 from deep. He had 12 points, 10 of which came in the first half, and could never find a consistent rhythm. He capitalized on a few opportunities in traffic, but Maryland needs more from its star for its Big Ten surge to continue.
Guard Anthony Cowan: A-
The freshman was Maryland’s best player against the Fighting Illini, racking up 19 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. A day after Turgeon commended his rookies for poise throughout the start of conference play, Cowan was sound and patient in a raucous road environment. Still, he left room for improvement with five missed free throws.
Forward Damonte Dodd: C+
Dodd emerged as a force against Indiana’s top big men earlier in the week, but he failed to establish a presence against Illinois. Two points, four rebounds and a block from the team’s lone true center won’t cut it, especially when he’s limited to 12 minutes. Even when forward Michal Cekovsky, who’s missed the last five games with an ankle injury, returns, the Terps need Dodd’s prowess down low to keep opponents from crowding the guards.
Forward L.G. Gill: B-
The senior’s six points came in the first half while filling Dodd and Jackson’s voids, and he showed potential with a few conversions in the paint and a long jumper. Gill’s range helped him average double-digit scoring last season with Duquesne, but the Terps haven’t received the same production in his graduate transfer campaign. If he can build on Saturday’s action, though, it could help boost the Terps’ depleted frontcourt.
