It was mystifying to watch Radford go from so hot to so cold so dramatically.
One moment, guard Carlik Jones knifed into the lane to convert a layup — the Highlanders’ eighth straight possession with points to open Saturday’s game against Maryland men’s basketball. The next — guard Travis Fields hitting the second of two free throw attempts some 7:23 later — ended a lengthy stretch without any points.
After beginning 8-for-9 from the field and mounting a nine-point advantage, Radford missed 13 consecutive shots and offered the Terps a path back into the game. Still, it took coach Mark Turgeon’s squad until three minutes remained in the first half to take its first lead.
But Maryland pulled away in the second half to secure a 78-64 win to close nonconference play.
“We played with poise in the second half,” forward Bruno Fernando said. “We tried to run our plays. In the first half, we kind of stood a little bit. Second half, we moved our bodies a lot more.”
Following Friday’s practice, Turgeon dismissed the notion that Radford may pose that of a “trap” game, saying his team knew the challenge coach Mike Jones’ squad presented. The Highlanders had defeated then-No. 17 Texas and Notre Dame earlier in the year and had nearly knocked off Clemson.
“The bigger the name,” Turgeon said Friday, “the better they play.”
So, in a way, Radford’s 8-for-9 shooting start seemed flattering for Maryland.
Within the first three minutes, guards Ed Polite, Donald Hicks and Carlik Jones had hit triples. The first of two first-half threes from guard Eric Ayala cut the Terps’ deficit momentarily, but a rapturous shooting start pushed Radford (7-6) ahead.
“How about the shots they made? Are you serious?” Turgeon repined postgame. “Concerned, but I’m more pleased with how we’ve come back both halves.”
Without forward Jalen Smith, who participated in shootaround but was ruled out with an illness, forward Joshua Tomaic was handed his first start this season. He featured for five minutes before withdrawing for forward Ricky Lindo with the Highlanders already leading 15-10, and he didn’t return for the rest of the first half.
Radford established a nine-point advantage before the Terps managed their first defensive stop. And with Ivan Bender and four freshmen on the floor, Maryland (10-3, 1-1 Big Ten) began whittling away at its deficit. Anthony Cowan completed an and-1 and hit two more free throws later to cap a 9-0 run that briefly tied the game before Fields’ free throw gave Radford its first points in more than seven minutes of action.
But the process to retake a lead was elongated through continually cold shooting and turnovers. Fernando had the chance to put Maryland ahead but missed both free throws with 5:25 to go in the first period. The Terps shot 39.3 percent and turned it over eight times in the opening 20 minutes — but led, 34-32, at the interval.
“Our energy at the start of the game wasn’t up to par,” Lindo said. “Once coach Turgeon made a couple subs, you know, the energy picked up. And then the starters got back into it and everything was fine.”
The advantage was swept away to open the second half after a 5-0 Radford run, but a Fernando and-1 highlighted a 17-4 run that opened up Maryland’s first double-digit lead.
A Fernando transition dunk pushed Maryland’s lead to 20 points late in the contest, and he finished with a team-high 19 points and 12 rebounds. Fernando worked his way through Radford’s double-team attempts with more success than in past games, breaking the contest open.
“He is like three of our guys,” Mike Jones said. “Trying to keep him off the glass, trying to guard him, they figured out pretty good passing out at the double. Once he did that, it was tough to contain them.”
Aaron Wiggins hit two 3-pointers in the final 20 minutes while the Terps made 56 percent of their shots in a resurgent second half.
Without Smith, there was a question mark surrounding who would provide significant frontcourt minutes alongside Fernando. Tomaic didn’t see the floor until the game was well out of reach in the second half. Bender matched his season high with eight minutes.
But it was Lindo’s 22-minute outing that offered Maryland enough stability to weather Radford’s challenge. The freshman posted a career-high eight points with 10 rebounds and two blocks.
“He’s a lot more aggressive,” Fernando said. “He goes to the boards every single time … and does whatever the game gives him.”
And after the way Maryland began — seemingly stuck in a winter break-lull for the opening minutes — there were positive signs from the final nonconference matchup of the season. The Terps overcame Smith’s absence, powered through the Highlanders’ electric start and added on enough to counteract another late scoring drought amid an otherwise comfortable win before Big Ten play resumes.
“Don’t sleep on this win,” Turgeon said. “I know everybody’s going to go, ‘Oh, it’s Radford.’ … [But] for us to build a 20-point lead was great.”
