The Terps outscored the Jaspers by 27 in the second half.
Top-10 prospect and five-star recruit Derik Queen might just be everything he’s been hyped up to be.
Maryland men’s basketball slotted its young phenom in the starting lineup against Manhattan, and from the get-go, he could not be contained. No matter the situation — whether it was on the boards, dribble-handoffs, pick-and-rolls or running the floor, Queen had a calm, mature presence to his game.
His exceptional night ended with 22 points and 20 rebounds — the first Terp freshman ever to post a 20-point, 20-rebound game. With the aid of Queen, Maryland cruised to a 79-49 opening night victory.
“[Queen] does that in practice. So it was very expected,” said guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie.
It was a mixed bag for the Terps in the opening 10 minutes. The play was fast-paced, but there were varying levels of success on offense.
Queen was paired in the paint with Julian Reese, and Maryland was not partisan toward either heading the attack. Instead, pick-and-rolls orchestrated by Gillespie freed up both for mismatch post-up opportunities — which left them guarded by players they dwarfed.
Queen was the most potent player on the attack early, scoring six points on 3-of-5 shooting and grabbing four boards in his first stint. While he did turn the ball over once on an intended lob to Reese in the paint, his performance was largely positive.
But missed shots — particularly from 3-point range — stinted Maryland’s production. It went 1-of-7 from distance in the game’s first 13 minutes. Gillespie, who was particularly ball-dominant, went 0-of-3 in that span.
“Last year … I walked off the court, and I was visibly nervous about the way we shot the ball,” said head coach Kevin Willard. “This year, I know we got guys that can shoot. So I’m not exactly worried.”
Throughout the first half, Maryland failed to separate itself from the Jaspers, as no lineup combination created substantial momentum. Guard Jay Young and forward Tafara Gapare were the only bench players to score in the first 20 minutes. Both drilled 3-pointers — the Terps’ only two long-distance makes in the period.
Maryland’s aggressiveness around the rim paid dividends, as Manhattan committed eight fouls in the first half. The Terps dominated the glass, outrebounding Manhattan 24-13 in the first 20 minutes. Queen snagged 12 of those rebounds en route to a first-half double-double.
“We did do a good job of getting the ball inside in the first half,” Willard said. “Again, it’s when you have really talented players, certain guys can take over games.”
Maryland’s authority on the boards accounted for seven second-chance points in the first half, which it led after, 31-28.
The start of the second half was a completely different ballgame for the Terps. In just under six minutes, they erupted for 18 points, including seven for Queen and five from guard Rodney Rice, who replaced Selton Miguel to start the period.
“No nerves … just go on there and play basketball,” Queen said. “That’s what I love to do … no need to be nervous playing basketball.”
While 3-point conversion remained an issue — Maryland went just 1 for 4 in this span — finishing around the basket was far from a problem. It stemmed from the Terps’ willingness to push the pace off defensive stops, leading to multiple sizable runs.
It wasn’t until a sequence midway through the second half that the game felt truly out of reach.
First, forward Jordan Geronimo euro-stepped his way into the paint before posterizing a defender. Then, after a stop on the opposing end, Gillespie nailed his first 3-pointer of the contest.
“Jordan knows who he is now, and that makes a huge difference as a player,” Willard said. “When you figure out who you are and what you can do and how you can be effective on the court,” Willard said.
In response, Xfinity Center roared the loudest it had all night, as Maryland had opened up an 18-point lead that it did not only not relinquish, but expanded upon.
The second half also highlighted the switch on the defensive end for the Terps. They guarded the 3-point line much better, and held the Jaspers to just 19.4% shooting overall in the period.
While a slow start for the Terps, the night finished as expected.
Three things to know
1. Queen impressed mightily in his debut. The freshman sensation was dominant Monday evening, undoubtedly the Terps’ best performer. He was smooth, converted at a high rate around the rim and was unstoppable on the glass.
2. Quiet night from DeShawn Harris-Smith. The sophomore guard is looking to build on his freshman campaign where he averaged just 7.3 points per game on 36.8% shooting. On Thursday, he scored just six points and missed all three of his 3-point attempts.
“I’d like to see DeShawn be a little bit more aggressive,” Willard said. “He’s putting the work in shooting and offensive-wise.”
3. Emphasis on the inside. Despite Willard putting an emphasis on shooting in his offseason portal additions, it was the paint game that shined brightly Thursday. His team racked up 50 points in the paint, compared to just 20 from Manhattan.