A foul had stopped play with eight seconds left before halftime of Maryland men’s basketball’s 72-62 win over Ohio State on Saturday, but forward Bruno Fernando didn’t care.

Even though Anthony Cowan’s pass reached Fernando well after the whistle, the Angola native still launched into the air after collecting it, cocked back his right hand and hammered the ball down.

The superfluous and emphatic dunk attempt slammed off the rim and out, making it all the way to the Buckeyes bench on the fly. It was just that kind of first half for Fernando; even with nobody guarding him, he couldn’t get the ball through the basket.

Fernando entered halftime scoreless but recovered the way he has throughout a sophomore campaign sprinkled with slow starts, tormenting the Buckeyes in the second half to finish with 14 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.

“He’s a first-team all-league guy. You’re not going to eliminate him completely,” Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann said. “It’s just challenging.”

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Holtmann felt his star forward, Kaleb Wesson, played strong defense on Fernando all afternoon. Early on, those efforts were rewarded.

With about six minutes left in the first half, Fernando tried to back down Wesson, didn’t make much progress and settled for a turnaround jumper he left short. When coach Mark Turgeon subbed him out not much later, Fernando yelled and slammed his fist onto the padding of a courtside table next to the bench.

“I couldn’t get going,” Fernando said. “I was a little confused … just trying to figure out how they’re guarding me.”

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The clanked fadeaway was one of just two shots Fernando took in the opening period, continuing a string of sluggish first halves for the 6-foot-10 forward. Fernando hasn’t scored more than three points in the first half of any of his past five games, and twice he’s been kept off the board entirely.

Fernando’s diagnosis for the latest iteration of the slow start was a lack of aggression, but Turgeon viewed it more as a tactical problem.

“He was catching the ball too far off the blocks,” Turgeon said. “Second half, we were able to establish him a little bit deeper.”

Cowan said the team entered the second half determined to get its big man going, and sure enough, Fernando went right after Wesson the first possession out of halftime. He spun around Wesson near the baseline and finished with a smooth reverse layup to finally open his account. He went 5-for-7 in the second period and secured his ninth double-double in his past 10 games.

On the other end, Fernando limited Wesson to seven points on 12 shots, improving upon the already modest 11 points he allowed the Buckeyes’ leading scorer during their first matchup.

“It’s a battle, I can tell you that. He’s got, like, what, probably 60 pounds on me?” Fernando said. “He’s a great player. … I just try to get him tired, make him move around.”

Wesson outweighs Fernando by 30 pounds, but Fernando’s relative slenderness is part of what makes him so dangerous. His dexterity is part of why he continues to climb up NBA Draft boards, even if his slow first halves — should they continue — may turn into a concern for Turgeon’s team.

Fernando’s improved passing ability makes opponents hesitant to double-team him every possession, and his defense rarely wavers, meaning he remains a force regardless of whether he gets off to a hot start shooting.

“It’s not just his scoring,” Holtmann said. “It’s all the other things that he does with his athleticism that impact the game.”