SEATTLE – No. 4-seed Maryland men’s basketball’s first-round matchup with No. 13-seed Grand Canyon was 13 of the 15 Terps first NCAA Tournament game of their career. And through the first six minutes, it showed.
Maryland trailed, 7-2, at the 14:50 mark in the first half, failing to score on its first seven possessions, which included three turnovers. But a 9-0 run helped the Terps capture their first lead of the game, which they never relinquished en route to an 81-49 steamrolling of the Antelopes Friday at Climate Pledge Arena.
Although Maryland finished the game with a 50.8% field goal percentage, it started 1 for 9 from the field, missing every jump shot and turning the ball over on the perimeter. With the Terps settling into their first March Madness game and first-ever matchup with Grand Canyon, they relied on Julian Reese’s paint presence to relax their shaky offense.
The senior kick-started the early run with consecutive hook shots and scored 10 of Maryland’s first 20 points, lowering his hand to the floor to let the Seattle crowd know the Antelopes were too small after a layup put the Terps up eight points. He finished with a team-high 18 points, four rebounds and two blocks.
Reese was subbed off shortly after the gesture, allowing Derik Queen to take over the offense. The freshman phenom found success in the paint as well — totaling 12 points and a game-high 15 rebounds — but also got his teammates involved, finding DeShawn Harris-Smith for layups on back-to-back possessions. Queen ended the game with three assists and two blocks.
Reese and Queen spearheaded the Terps’ rebounds efforts, as Maryland notched 44 rebounds to the Antelopes’ 33.
The frontcourt duo helped balloon Maryland’s lead to 14 points, while Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Rodney Rice and Selton Miguel found their stroke from deep to preserve a 42-28 halftime lead. The Terps shot 4-of-9 from three in the first half.
Grand Canyon 6-foot-7 guard Tyon Grant-Foster scored 16 points in the first half — no other Antelope tallied more than three. Grant-Foster finished the game with 23 points on 5-of-13 from the field, shooting an uncharacteristic 3-of-7 from three; he entered the game shooting 21.7% from deep this season.
Maryland coasted through the second half, as it received production from every player who touched the floor. Gillespie continued to terrorize Grand Canyon with his quickness and pesky defense, totaling 16 points, three assists and two steals.
Harris-Smith also posted one of his best games of the season. In 24 minutes off the bench, he recorded a season-high 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting — including his sixth 3-point make of the year — and four rebounds.
Head coach Kevin Willard made waves Thursday when asked about his future with the program as Villanova rumors swarmed. He outed athletics director Damon Evans’ potential move to SMU and stated he needed to see “fundamental changes” before signing a contract extension. The Terps ended concerns regarding a potential lack of focus and commitment Friday, destroying Grand Canyon.
Maryland now moves on to the Round of 32, where it will play No. 12-seed Colorado State Sunday.
Three things to know
1. Maryland neutralized JaKobe Coles. While Grant-Foster impressed, the Terps shut down Coles. The senior forward entered the game averaging a team-high 14.8 points per game, but he only posted four points on 2-of-8 shooting against Maryland’s frontcourt.
2. The Terps played clean. Despite committing three turnovers in the first two minutes, Maryland ended the game with just eight. Grand Canyon entered the game forcing the 16th-most turnovers per game in the country with 15.1, but could not get to the Terps.
3. A difference in the paint and beyond the arc. Maryland outclassed Grand Canyon in the paint and from deep. The Terps scored 44 points in the paint, and shot 43.8% from three to the Antelopes’ 18 points and 21.7% mark.
