In 75-63 win, more impressive stuff(s) from 7-1 freshman
In a video-board marriage proposal Saturday at Comcast Center, Rachel Meyerowitz accepted a ring from Will Brody-DeClerk in an engagement of 2006 Maryland graduates.
Meanwhile on the court, the union between 7-foot-1 freshman Alex Len and the Maryland Terrapins took another positive step in a 75-63 victory over Samford before 11,429.
With Len scoring 13 points, pulling down seven rebounds, and blocking a shot, Maryland (9-3) dominated the boards, 40-22, on its way to its sixth straight win and most decisive margin this season.
“We played about as well as we have this year,” Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said. “You add Pe’shon [Howard] and Alex to the group and we’re really starting to play better as a group.”
Len’s presence inside sparked the Terps’ running game and opened up the outside for sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin (24 points, five rebounds, three assists), who hit six of eight 3-point shots and freshman guard Nick Faust (13 points, four assists), who made three of four from beyond the arc.
“Alex is a big presence inside. It helps backdoor cutting, slashing,” Faust said. “He attracts the defenders’ attention. So we’re gonna get open shots.”
It was an inspired effort from Maryland a day after Turgeon abruptly ended a morning workout and scheduled a 7 p.m. practice session.
“I’m not going to put up with it. We gotta practice better,” Turgeon said. “I’ve got high expectations for this team.”
In his third game back from a broken foot, sophomore point guard Howard (nine rebounds, five assists, two points) led Maryland to its rebounding edge, notching his career high, three days after collecting his previous career high of six boards.
“It’s really a lot of work from the big guys. They hold their box outs,” Howard said. “I don’t know if they’re upset about it. I just kind of come in and pick up the rebounds. I benefit from their work.”
Against over-matched Samford (3-9) of the Southern Conference, Len dominated both ends in a brief first-half sequence. First he scored with a low-post fake and a one-hander off the glass. Then he bolted from underneath and changed a jump shot at the key by Jeffrey Merritt. Howard got the rebound and raced the ball upcourt, feeding Len for a dunk and a 23-16 lead. At the other end, Len again intimidated Merritt on a layup try and reeled in the rebound.
Stoglin had his moments as well in the first half. On three consecutive possessions, the left-hander hit 3-pointers sandwiched around a fast-break feed to Sean Mosley (seven points, five rebounds). The flurry transformed a 5-4 deficit into a 12-5 lead. After that, Stamford never challenged despite 16 points from freshman forward Tyler Hood.
Even with a 12-point lead early in the second half, Turgeon sensed his team was losing focus, so he pulled four starters – Stoglin, Len, Mosley, and James Padgett – off the floor en masse and replaced them with Mychal Parker, Ashton Pankey, Berend Weijs, and Faust.
The new unit ignited a 13-0 Maryland run, highlighted by back-to-back 3-pointers from Faust. During the rally, Maryland held Samford scoreless in a span of 9 minutes, 40 seconds.
“[Turgeon] said we needed to pick up the defensive intensity,” Stoglin said. “Just talking about defense – a lot of that.”
