Maryland men’s basketball struggles to contain Ron Harper Jr. and Geo Baker losing conference opener to No. 19 Rutgers

(Photo Courtesy of Maryland Athletics.)

Forward Ron Harper Jr. set a screen for guard Geo Baker then rolled off on the left wing as Rutgers (5-0, 1-0 B1G) led Maryland (4-ii, 0-i B1G) 60-51 with 5:12 remaining. Harper so quickly gathered the pass from Bakery and rose over Jairus Hamilton confidently swishing his 5th and final iii-arrow of the dark, in an impressive 27-indicate performance.

Harper's basket and Baker'south help were emblematic of the problems Rutgers' talented duo gave Maryland all night long in the Scarlet Knights 74-60 victory. Both Bakery and Harper combined for 42 points, 31 of which came in the 2nd one-half, sinking Maryland's hopes of winning its Large X opener.

"[Ron Harper] was a trouble," guard Eric Ayala said. "He hitting a lot of big shots, he played pretty big for Rutgers."

Rutgers finished ix-19 from backside the arc, while Maryland finished 4-twenty unable to find a rhythm from three. Iii of Maryland's four threes came courtesy of sophomore Donta Scott who finished with a career-high 20 points and was the Terps only perimeter shooting threat throughout.

"I think we got practiced shots, we had a lot wide open threes out there," head jitney Marker Turgeon said. You lot've got to give [Rutgers] some credit, but you lot've also got to be like we missed some open [shots].

While Harper and Baker began to percolate as the second half began, the start half was a different story with both teams struggling to score for a majority of the one-half. The Terps started out just ii-10 from the field in the opening eight minutes, struggling with the Scarlet Knights' combo of the length on the perimeter and force on the interior.

However, Maryland counteracted its struggles shooting with tremendous endeavor and hustle with an early +5 advantage on the drinking glass in the start 10 minutes. Maryland'south hustle was too complemented past great aggressiveness, as Rutgers was in the punishment with 14:xi remaining in the commencement half. Struggling from the field, v of the Terps' showtime 13 points came from the charity stripe.

With both teams battling back and along and the score tied at 13, Rutgers found its groove offensively, penetrating to the handbasket and feeding its mail players. On consecutive possessions, guards Jacob Young and Paul Mulcahy displayed exquisite vision dribbling around defenders and dumping off to Myles Johnson and Cliff Omoruyi.

Rutgers' final basket of the 10-signal run was most impressive when Young showed his quickness penetrating the Maryland press and and so feeding Omoruyi for the ferocious alley-oop jam. Just when it seemed like Rutgers had seized all of the momentum, Maryland'south defensive tenacity brought them back.

Over the final half dozen:44 of the first half, the Terps orchestrated a 15-4 run converting defense into offense, as Rutgers converted just 1 of its 11 final shots of the half. The trio of Darryl Morsell, Scott and Galin Smith combined to score 7 sequent points, which cutting the arrears to 23-20 with iii:02 remaining.

So Maryland converted on some of Rutgers mental lapses in the latter stages of the first half to have a 28-27 lead heading into halftime. Morsell, Ayala and Scott each contributed a basket in the final minutes, giving the Terps some momentum entering the second half.

The 2d one-half began with an electric pace on both ends of the floor, with both teams playing at a faster pace compared to the first half. Later Scott knocked down a iii on Maryland'due south opening possession, Rutgers quickly answered with a vii-0 run to regain the lead at 34-31, a atomic number 82 which it would non relinquish again. As a majority of Rutgers' criminal offence was in the second half, that spurt was keyed by Harper and Bakery's efficiency from deep.

"In the second half [Ron Harper] just said I'm taking over the game," Turgeon said. "[Rutgers] stretched u.s. a footling bit, they were able to get downhill, ball screen defense force wasn't expert enough."

Despite Rutgers' success from the perimeter early on, Maryland's offense didn't allow Rutgers to pull away every bit it led by just two with fourteen:45 remaining. Even so, a cursory cold spell from Maryland'south crime complemented by Rutgers' scorching touch from behind the arc immune it to build a more substantial lead.

Over the adjacent 2:51, the Scarlet Knights put together a 10-0 run once over again with Harper and Baker serving every bit the catalysts. Johnson besides added a basket during the run, part of his impactful x point, 16 rebound functioning.

Now trailing by 12 with 11:54 remaining, Maryland was in demand of an offensive spark, which Scott provided one time again. Although Scott provided an offensive burst with his perimeter shooting prowess, the Terps couldn't put together consistent defensive stops to proceed trimming the pb.

With Rutgers leading 55-51 with 10:56 remaining, Maryland needed a run to prevent the game from getting abroad. The Terps did exactly that with a 7-0 spurt, featuring a thunderous jam by Aaron Wiggins and Scott'due south 3rd and last three of the game to cut Rutgers pb to 55-48 with 8:58 remaining.

7 was as close as the Terps would come for the residuum of the style, as Baker answered Maryland's run with consecutive baskets to regain the Scarlet Knights' double-digit lead. Maryland continued to battle downwards the stretch, but the Reddish Knights timely shot making proved too much.

Maryland will now accept eight days off to residual and reevaluate as it'due south scheduled to host LaSalle on December. 22 at the Xfinity Center.

"It's in us, I just accept to practise a better chore day-to-solar day of just giving the guys confidence," Turgeon said of the squad'southward shooting struggles. "Once they go it and they're more confident nosotros're gonna play meliorate."

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Source: http://wmucsports.net/maryland-mens-basketball-struggles-to-contain-ron-harper-jr-and-geo-baker-losing-conference-opener-to-no-19-rutgers/

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