After Maryland men’s basketball’s four-point loss to then-No. 15 Marquette, Kevin Willard admitted he didn’t use his bench players enough.

Outside of sophomore guard Rodney Rice, who played 32 minutes and moved to the starting lineup in the Terps’ next game, the coach played his bench a combined 14 minutes against the Golden Eagles. That unit was a detriment in their first high-major contest of the season.

But the bench became a strength in Maryland’s second such game against Villanova on Sunday. Willard found three reserves who he felt changed the “complexion of the game” in the second half and helped the Terps overcome a 12-point deficit to top the Wildcats, 76-75, in Newark, New Jersey.

The trio of guards — sophomore DeShawn Harris-Smith, graduate student Jay Young and freshman Malachi Palmer — combined for only eight points against Villanova. But they all made their presence felt on defense while the latter two hit a pair of clutch 3-pointers in a tight second period.

“I thought all three of those guys did a good job of, again, changing tempo, putting a better pressure than that first group did,” Willard said.

Willard swapped Rice for Harris-Smith in the starting group after the Marquette loss. He said Rice’s shooting better complemented Derik Queen and Julian Reese in the starting five, while Harris-Smith could unlock his passing and ball handling skills with the reserves.

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That’s proven to be true in the two games since the switch. Rice tallied 29 points and shot 6-for-14 from beyond the arc against Canisius and Villanova. Harris-Smith has totaled eight rebounds and six assists after having just four assists in his first four games of the year as a starter.

“Moving DeShawn to that second unit gives him more freedom to be the player he’s capable of playing,” Willard said. “In that first unit, he’s almost forced to be a shooter … He can now be a point guard, he can be more aggressive, he feels a little bit, he doesn’t have to stress about shooting.”

Young and Palmer combined for seven minutes in the first half against Villanova. They played 13 in the second, each subbing in at about the 12-minute mark and immediately converting a pair of 3-pointers that cut Maryland’s deficit to just two. They also brought an improved level of physicality, according to Willard.

Young, who played one minute in the second half against Marquette, stayed on the floor for eight straight minutes in Sunday’s second period. He shared the floor with junior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie for most of that span, where the duo wreaked havoc in Willard’s full-court press.

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“Jay and Ja’Kobi in the press, when those two guys are out there together, you got to worry about [them],” Willard said.

Palmer wasn’t expected to play a huge role for the Terps this early into his collegiate career, but he’s been a pleasant surprise. Associate head coach David Cox said in the preseason that the freshman’s scoring ability translated from the high school level much quicker than they would’ve expected.

Palmer scored a career-high 10 points in Maryland’s blowout win against Canisius on Nov. 19.

He played in favor of Georgia Tech transfer Tafara Gapare on Sunday — the junior forward rode the bench after playing just two minutes in the opening half. Willard instead used Palmer in a four guard lineup that included Gillespie, Young, Rice, and later Harris-Smith.

Fifth year forward Jordan Geronimo has missed the Terps’ last two games with what Willard called a “slight bruise.” He will likely be a key contributor off the bench this season, and he could cut into Palmer’s minutes upon his return.

Either way, Willard is starting to find bench players he can rely on after struggling in that department to start the season.