On Thursday night, Eric Ayala — wearing a No. 5 New York Knicks jersey — led his squad to victory at Madison Square Garden.

The real Ayala — the starting point guard who wears a No. 5 Maryland men’s basketball uniform — sat on the other side of the television screen, controller in hand after guiding his MyPlayer to a win in NBA 2K19. He suddenly marveled at the idea of playing in the same arena as his video game likeness.

“Wow, I’m about to play there tomorrow,” Ayala said.

At points during Monday’s 69-55 loss to No. 6 Michigan State at Breslin Center, Ayala and his cohort of freshmen contributors looked their age. The No. 13 Terps’ 34.4 shooting percentage was their second-worst this season, and while rookie guard Aaron Wiggins had a team-high 15 points, Ayala was held to five.

But after its seven-game winning streak was ended by the Spartans, Maryland enters Madison Square Garden for another contest against a high-speed team — albeit one of a significantly lower caliber — when the Terps play Illinois on Saturday. And Ayala figures to be a vital piece should Maryland begin a new streak.

“Knowing that if one thing isn’t working, keep competing throughout the game. We fought back in that game against MSU. We’ve got a lot of fight,” Ayala said. “In the freshmen, we’ve got a lot of growing up to do.”

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Ayala, though, has rarely looked out of place on a college court. While averaging over 28 minutes per game, the Wilmington, Delaware, native has scored double-figures nine times and leads the Big Ten with a 48.4 three-point shooting percentage.

Ayala’s composure on the ball, helping alleviate some of guard Anthony Cowan’s ball-handler duties, was a known commodity. So was his ability to dole out assists, as seen in five games this year with five or more.

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But Ayala’s sharpshooting came as a bit of a surprise initially for coach Mark Turgeon, who recruited Ayala for three years and worried about his scoring ability two years ago. But during a post-grad year at IMG Academy, Ayala’s shot developed. And as Turgeon works out before nearly every practice, Ayala is at Xfinity Center too, getting more shots up.

“Eric’s been an old soul since I started recruiting him,” Turgeon said. “But his game has really evolved, especially in the last year and a half. He’s become a much better offensive player.”

Michigan State’s transition offense ripped apart Maryland on Monday, going for 29 fast-break points. Despite preparing for the Spartans’ speed, it was eye-opening to play against it.

“I’d be running back on defense, I turn around, I see Cassius Winston right there by my leg,” Ayala said. “So that was an experience. We’re going to learn from it.”

Illinois (5-14, 1-7 Big Ten) likes to get out and run, too. But the Terps hope they’ll be more prepared to stop a fast-paced team this time around and continue to prove the five freshmen in the squad’s top-eight players are mature beyond their years.

During the seven-game win streak, Maryland, the fifth-youngest team in Division I, proved it can win on the road, beating Rutgers, Minnesota and Ohio State before falling to the Spartans.

“We’ve all grown together and it shows,” forward Ricky Lindo said. “You see Turgeon likes to play us all at the same time. And it’s really big because it shows that he trusts in us.”

So, while Ayala felt the Terps’ inexperience was on display at Breslin Center against a superior foe, Maryland has a chance to recover in another high-profile setting. And Ayala’s poise could help carry his real-life team to his second win at Madison Square Garden in the past three days, emulating his NBA 2K19 career.

“You know, it’s a blessing for me to be there, for our team to be there, to play in such a historic arena,” Ayala said.