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Maryland Eastern Shore has lost by an average of 46.6 points against its Power Five opponents this season, entered Saturday’s contest against Maryland as 40-point underdogs and is one of the worst statistical teams in the country.
It was supposed to be one final, easy tune-up for the Terps before conference play. But the Hawks only trailed by six points with 10 minutes to go, and Kevin Willard looked enraged. Maryland finally overwhelmed the Hawks in the final stretch, though, winning 81-66 in an uninspired performance in its final non-conference game of the regular season.
Coming off a break and playing another in a string of overmatched opponents, the Terps’ halfcourt offense, which was so efficient in recent weeks, generated only 1.17 points per possession. It was a stark contrast to the dominant performances Maryland fans have been used to the past month. The Terps shot a frigid 27.8% from three after several hot-shooting outings. The result dropped them five spots in KenPom’s rankings, to No. 16.
Still, they were never in changer of losing and Maryland’s big men closed the door on any attempt at an upset bid. Derik Queen registered his fifth double-double of the season, finishing with 18 points and 14 rebounds. His frontcourt partner, Julian Reese, scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Queen’s gravity has left Reese in the shadows at points this season, but the Baltimore duo is starting to develop a clear chemistry. The senior has scored in double figures in nine of the last 10 games.
? Derik Queen: 18 PTS – 14 REB
⚫️ Julian Reese: 23 PTS – 11 REBToday’s @TerrapinHoops win was the 2nd time this season that Queen and Reese have posted double-doubles in the same game ?#B1GStats x #B1GMBBall pic.twitter.com/rhCbmxgHvL
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) December 28, 2024
But those showings also came against an undersized opponent. Maryland Eastern Shore, the sixth worst team in the country according to Kenpom, stayed in the game with late shot clock baskets, generating turnovers and hustle plays. Still, it’s hard to gauge much from a sleepy Saturday non-conference game against an opponent who lost by 54 to UConn and 47 to Illinois. Maryland’s players looked like they fetl the same as the fanbase: bored with low-level opponents on the nation’s fourth-worst non-conference schedule according to KenPom, ready for high-level competition.
They’ll get that this week. The Terps travel to Washington and Oregon for the opening of conference play. They finished the non-conference slate with a 10-1 record, their best since 2019.
So far, this team has resembled that strong 2019 team. An elite point guard, Anthony Cowan and Ja’Kobi Gillespie, paired with a five-star forward such as Jalen Smith or Queen. That Terps team was one of the program’s best in recent years, and the 2024 squad could replicate that special season.
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