After playing three challenging games, the Maryland Terps (14-11) traveled back to College Park to face off against a conference opponent: The Iowa Hawkeyes (14-11). The Terps came away with the win, defeating the Hawkeyes 78-66.
Before the game got underway, Maryland announced a different starting lineup for the second straight game. This time, DeShawn Harris-Smith and Jordan Geronimo got the start over Jamie Kaiser Jr. and Mady Traore. However, after the game, head coach Kevin Willard told the media he doesn’t think there’s much of a difference in starting vs not starting.
It was a defensive affair between the Terps and Hawkeyes for most of the first quarter. During the first quarter, the Terps were 4-for-14 from the field and had trouble behind the arc. At the end of the first half, Maryland was just 3-for-12 from deep. Part of the reason the team struggled early was the turnovers, with the Terps recording five turnovers just 12 minutes into the game.
“I think we’ve started very timid at home for some reason. We’ve settled for shots.”
— Coach Willard said to us in the postgame
Payton Sandfort gave Maryland trouble early for Iowa, cashing in on his first three three-point attempts. Maryland faced more problems when Geronimo landed awkwardly on his right foot after guarding Sandfort. Geronimo exited with a few minutes to play in the first half and didn’t return. In addition to starting the second half, Traore suffered a left knee injury and was down on the court for an extended period. Unfortunately, he had to be helped off and could not walk under his teammates. Coach Willard didn’t offer any injury updates after the game.
To start the half, Maryland faced a six-point deficit. The Terpians started having their shots fall in, and combined with good defense, the game got in reach for the Terps.
After the game, when Coach Willard was asked what changed and what led to the successful second half, he acknowledged becoming more physical.
“Let’s take advantage of driving. Let’s take advantage of getting the basketball inside.”
Maryland guards Jahmir Young and DeShawn Harris-Smith led the second-half comeback for the Terps. Harris-Smith, who had a rough stretch, totaled a career-high 17 points. A true freshman, Harris-Smith credited trusting the process and said, “Eventually, the hard work will pay off.”
Young also had a dominant game, recording a team-high 21 points. In the fourth quarter, the Terps attacked the rim instead of relying on the three-pointer and didn’t even attempt a three-pointer for the game’s final ten minutes.
As a result, they finished on a 34-12 run and completed the comeback against a conference opponent. Although Maryland still has a long way to go in the regular season, they snapped their three-game losing streak and got a must-needed home victory.
Next, the Terps will host Illinois Fighting (18-6) this Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
