The Terps picked up their fourth straight win.
No. 20 Maryland men’s basketball brushed past USC, 88-71, Thursday night in the programs’ first meeting since 1990.
Rodney Rice and Ja’Kobi Gillespie combined for 42 points, while Julian Reese and Derik Queen each posted a double-double.
Here are three takeaways from the win.
A sluggish first half
After one of its best offensive performances in the last 10 years, Maryland struggled to make shots in the first half Thursday night.
The Terps entered the game fresh off its highest offensive output against a Big Ten opponent since joining the conference in 2014, scoring 101 points against Iowa Sunday night. They started the game 7 for 7 from the field and ended it 39 for 67 (58.2%). Maryland was also efficient from three, shooting 46.2% on 26 attempts, more than four attempts above its season average.
The Terps’ start Thursday indicated a similar showing may be on its way, but that was not the case. After beginning the game 5-of-6 from the field, Maryland finished the first half 13-of-33 (39.4%). And following a 3-of-4 start from beyond the arc, the Terps made just one of their next eight attempts.
Their struggles were not due to USC’s hounding defense — which allows the sixth-most points per game in the Big Ten. Maryland got open shots, it just could not convert. Reese missed three shots in the paint and Queen spun his way to multiple solid looks at the rim, but could not finish the highlight plays.
As a result, the Terps once 16-3 lead shrunk to three points with less than two minutes remaining in the half, but a 7-0 run extended Maryland’s lead to 10 points before the break.
The Terps held USC to just 27 first-half points, allowing them to regain its footing in the second half and coast to another double-digit win.
[Head coach Kevin Willard] just said keep pushing the pace and play fast,” Rice said. “That’s how we’re going to create opportunities, just pushing the pace.”
The Terps stay hot from three
Driven by a 50% second-half performance, the Terps were efficient from behind the arc again Thursday night, shooting at least 40% for the third consecutive game.
Maryland connected on eight of its 20 3-pointers against USC, with Gillespie making five of them; he shot 5 for 8 from three. Rice also made two of his six attempts, while Selton Miguel connected on just one of his five looks.
The Terps have been one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country recently, shooting 41.4% from beyond the arc over their last nine games, which would rank first in the Big Ten by three percentage points.
While Gillespie, Rice and Miguel are Maryland’s only true threats from beyond the arc, their volume and efficiency can match just about any roster in the conference.
A gear-up game
Nobody who has watched Maryland play at home this season expected the Terps to lose this game, and they never seemed in jeopardy of dropping it Thursday. Maryland charged to a quick 11-0 advantage and USC failed to take the lead at any point.
The one-sided outcome was an anticipated one, with the game serving as a tune-up for next week’s dance with No. 14 Michigan State more than anything else. All five starters played at least 33 minutes despite the blow out, and Willard experimented with some different lineups, deploying Jay Young, DeShawn Harris-Smith and Tafara Gapare together at one point.
Maryland’s bench only scored a combined three points, but when asked if he was concerned with the bench production, Willard simply said, “No.”
The Terps are now winners of 13 straight home games as well, and have been in College Park since last Friday, avoiding some of the long and tiring travel the Big Ten sometimes demands. Michigan State will have to travel to Maryland and likely face Xfinity Center’s largest and most energetic crowd of the year.
The Spartans still have one more challenge before the Terps, though, with No. 12 Michigan on Friday. If Michigan State loses, Maryland will have a chance to climb the conference standings with a win Wednesday.