Five observations from Maryland’s 70-62 victory over Cornell, Tuesday night.
Len comes up big. Back-to-back 3-point plays – 35 seconds apart – by 7-foot-1 freshman Alex Len were key late in the game. Through the first three games of his college career, Len’s numbers are stellar – 74 minutes, 42 points, 24 rebounds, seven blocks. He has hit 15 of 19 shots from the floor (78.9 percent) and 12 of 18 free throws (66.7 percent). Look for future opponents to try to coax Len into foul trouble. He finished Tuesday night with four, his final foul coming when he was faked off his feet by 6-foot-4 guard Devin Cherry.
The Good. Maryland’s 16-0 run to open the game was its longest this season. The Terps extended their lead to 28-5 behind guards Sean Mosley (19 points, six rebounds) and Terrell Stoglin (14 points, four assists). Maryland was executing so crisply that 13 of their 17 first-half baskets came via assist. “Our defensive intensity is what picked that up,” Stoglin said. “We got fast-break opportunities. I don’t think we even ran a play. We were just pushing the ball.”
The Bad. As Cornell went on a 16-0 run in the second half, Maryland coach Mark Turgeon wanted to see the Terrapins play out of it. “I was not going to call timeout,” Turgeon said. “Just trying to help them grow up, even if it costs us a game. I kept telling my coaches, ‘I’m not calling timeout. They’ve got to get themselves out of it.’” Turgeon’s frustration peaked when sophomore Pe’Shon Howard (nine points, two assists, four turnovers) threw a high-risk lob pass that clanged off the rim. Turgeon yanked Howard immediately and inserted Stoglin, who seconds later threw a sloppy inbound pass that was stolen. Howard immediately replaced Stoglin. “Things just weren’t going good for us at that particular time of the game,” Stoglin said. “It happens.”
The Ugly. Nick Faust (two points) missed all seven of his shots in the second half and finished one of 11 from the floor. The 6-foot-6 freshman is shooting 33.7 percent overall and 23.5 percent from the arc. Entering Tuesday’s game, Faust had made 10 of his previous 18 shots. The rest of Faust’s game is in solid working order. Since the return of Howard, Faust has moved to his natural wing position and produced 12 assists and just one turnover. Turgeon regularly praises Faust’s effort. With his unique blend of length and quickness, Faust has keyed Maryland’s improving perimeter and transition defense. Cornell hit just seven of 30 shots from beyond the arc. The Terps have yielded just six fast-break points the last two games.
Oy Vey. The Terrapins were nearly done in by a player from Jewish Day School in Rockville who never appeared on their recruiting radar. Cornell junior Eitan Chemerinski hit five of six shots and had a game-high three steals. The 6-8 native of Potomac leads the Ivy League in field goal shooting (65.6 percent) in his first season as a starter. Ivy teams are 3-3 against the ACC this season.
