Leading up to the Maryland men’s basketball team’s game against Ohio State on Saturday, guard Anthony Cowan set aside time before and after practice to hoist extra jump shots.
Cowan averaged six points per game his previous five contests and had missed his past 11 three-point shots, so he tried to fix his shooting problems in the gym.
Coach Mark Turgeon sought to take pressure off Cowan, telling the freshman he wanted him to lead the Big Ten in assists and be the best defender in the conference for the final seven regular season games. While Cowan dished four assists Saturday, the scoring prowess he flashed during the start of Big Ten play returned.
Cowan matched a career-high 19 points, 16 of which came in the second half, in the No. 21 Terps’ 86-77 victory at Xfinity Center that snapped the squad’s two-game losing streak.
“I don’t think I’ve been playing at all to my abilities the last couple games,” Cowan said. “I have been trying to force points and make sure I get on the board. But this game, I wanted to lay back and get my teammates involved as much as I could. I was left open a little bit, so I thought I should start taking shots.”
[Read more: Maryland men’s basketball’s reserves played a crucial role in an 86-77 win vs. Ohio State]
Cowan was one of the Terps’ most versatile players at the start of conference play. While Maryland focused on playing an inside-out approach, Cowan drove the ball into the paint with his quickness and set an aggressive tone for his teammates. He also allowed guard Melo Trimble, who averages the sixth most points per game in the Big Ten (16.6), to create shots off the ball.
But Cowan’s struggles began in Maryland’s contest against Rutgers on Jan. 24. He was missing his jump shots, which prompted defenders to play off of him. When he drove into the lane, bigger defenders met him and prevented him from finishing tough layups.
One lasting image of Cowan’s struggles occurred late in Maryland’s 70-64 loss to Penn State on Tuesday. The 6-foot, 170-pound guard drove one-on-one with Nittany Lions guard Nazeer Bostick, who swatted Cowan’s layup attempt out of bounds while sending him to the floor, where he laid on his stomach for about four seconds.
Saturday, Cowan wasted little time finding his offensive rhythm, draining a 3-pointer from the right corner about two minutes after tip-off.
“I hit that first shot and that gave me confidence throughout the whole game,” Cowan said. “I was a little more open as the game went on. I figured, why not take another one? Why not take another one?”
Cowan didn’t attempt another shot the rest of the half, and he began second-half production by throwing forward Michal Cekovsky an alley-oop. But with Maryland up nine with about 10 minutes remaining, Cowan rattled off seven straight points.
His scoring spurt began when Ohio State forward Marc Loving played off Cowan, standing at the foul line while Cowan stood beyond the arc. The Bowie native took advantage by draining a 3-pointer. Cowan then got into the lane and drew fouls on consecutive possessions. A 75-percent free throw shooter, he made all 10 of his freebies Saturday.
Cowan’s scoring burst was crucial while Trimble scored 10 points on 3-for-11 shooting.
“We wanted to make Cowan make shots, and sure enough he did,” Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. “All those guys are so quick and they set so many balls screens. They do a good job of getting downhill.”
With 41 seconds remaining and Maryland leading by five, Buckeyes guard C.J. Jackson, who was guarding Cowan, stepped back, anticipating Cowan to drive. Instead, Cowan pulled up from the top of the key and sunk the game-clinching trey, holding his follow-through in the air.
Cowan didn’t smile after making his first two 3-pointers or when he drew fouls in traffic. This time, however, he flashed a grin toward the players on the Terps’ bench, who were celebrating with Cowan by holding up three fingers in the air.
“He definitely played a lot more confident today,” guard Kevin Huerter said. “When guys hit the first shot, you play with a lot more confidence the rest of the game. He was scoring, he was making his free throws, he was finding guys and setting up other guys for shots. We know he can do that every game.”
