Rodney Rice has played on his fair share of teams throughout his lengthy basketball career. But Maryland men’s basketball’s sophomore guard said he’s never seen a starting lineup as talented as his current one.
“Man, all the guys can go, can create for themselves and others,” Rice said. “I like what’s going on right now.”
Maryland beat USC on Thursday, 88-71, for its fourth straight win and the 10th in its last 12 games. The starting lineup combined for 85 of those points, once again proving its potency as the country’s highest-scoring unit.
Rice led all scorers with 22, including a 15-point second half where he got to the free-throw line six times. Junior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie poured in 20 on 12 shots while senior big man Julian Reese added 19.
Freshman big man Derik Queen, who grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds, said he thinks there’s still room for improvement, though.
“We had 14 assists today. I think we need to share the ball just a little bit more,” he said.
[Maryland men’s basketball flashed defensive ceiling in second half against Iowa]
Even with Queen’s slight gripe, it’s hard to nitpick that unit. All 51 of the Terps’ second-half points came from the starters in a period where they shot 60 percent.
Maryland (21-6, 11-5 Big Ten) got out to a fast start like it has many times at Xfinity Center. USC committed two live-ball turnovers where the Terps jumped the passing lane and ran out in transition. They also made three of their first four 3-point attempts and held a 15-3 lead at the first media timeout.
Then Maryland went cold, missing seven of its next nine shots while Queen took his first rest of the night. The Trojans didn’t fare much better, mustering just 12 points midway through the first half.
The once-buzzing crowd quieted as the Terps’ struggles prolonged. A Queen layup and a Gillespie 3-pointer were their only makes across a four-minute stretch late in the first period.
It was a notably louder crowd from Maryland’s last game against Iowa. Students filled the wall after empty red seats spotted the two sections behind the visitor’s basket on Sunday.
[The Diamondback Sports Digest: Maryland basketball nears postseason play]
“I think we did a great job feeding off their energy,” Queen said. “They got loud every time we made a shot.”
Maryland converted just five field goals in the last 11 minutes of the half but still entered the break up 37-27. The biggest disparities came at the free throw line, where the Terps made six more than their counterpart, and on the fastbreak — Maryland held a 12-2 advantage.
The second half started just like the first. Maryland made seven of its first 10 shots and extended its lead to 20 just five minutes in. The game seemed to be over by that point, but USC responded vindictively.
The Trojans reeled off 10 straight points to cut Maryland’s lead in half. But their deficit was too steep by that point — the closest USC got was within six points.
USC was largely aided by redshirt freshman Wesley Yates III and his team-high 21 points. Just two other players reached double figures.
The Terps moved into a tie for fourth place in the Big Ten, putting them right in play to earn a double bye in next month’s Big Ten tournament. With the way Maryland’s starters are performing, it’s hard to see a world where it doesn’t at least fight for one of those spots.
