Diggy Coit’s 43-point explosion propels Maryland over Penn State, 96-73

Photo courtesy of Mackenzie Miles/Maryland Athletics.

It was just one of those games for Diggy Coit.

The graduate guard has scored more than 30 points three times this season, and looked nearly unguardable doing it. His 43-point showing against Penn State was no different.

Maryland rode Coit’s outburst and survived a second-half scare, picking up a 96-73 win in College Park on Sunday – the Terps’ first Big Ten win in seven conference games. They had lost their previous six Big Ten matchups by double digits.

“[Coit’s] ability to make shots, particularly off the dribble, is rare,” coach Buzz Williams said. “To some degree, we needed what he did today, similar to a couple of other games.”

Coit has been Maryland’s go-to scoring option in the absence of leading scorer Pharrel Payne, who has missed seven games since suffering a knee injury against Michigan on Dec. 13. He’s struggled with consistency during that span, finishing with single-digit points in three games, but the highpoints have been impressive.

The Kansas transfer scored 31 against Michigan and 30 against USC. Earlier this season, Coit poured in a career-high 41 points against Mount St. Mary’s. His performances sparked some of Maryland’s best offensive outings this season – none better than the Terps’ first half against the Nittany Lions.

Maryland shot 11-for-17 from three and scored 56 first-half points, surpassing its previous season high of 50 against the Wolverines. Coit contributed 30 of those points, outscoring Penn State by himself.

“Obviously felt hot, felt good going into the game,” Coit said. “Just seeing a couple shots go in, it just [told] me they can’t guard you, be aggressive.”

After a near-perfect first half, the Terps’ season-long struggles reemerged.

Maryland, which leads the Big Ten in turnovers per game, coughed up the ball six times early in the second half after committing only three first-half turnovers. Penn State capitalized quickly.

The Nittany Lions outscored the Terps 18-1 in a 5:25 stretch, and Maryland went over six minutes without a field goal. Turnovers ended offensive possessions early for the Terps, and in clean possessions, they couldn’t buy a basket.

Prolonged scoring droughts have been all too familiar for Maryland this season. The Terps rank among the bottom three in the Big Ten in points per game, field goal percentage and three-point percentage.

Coit, who’s often breathed life into an anemic Maryland offense, was silent during Penn State’s run.

Penn State cut Maryland’s lead to 10 with 11:33 remaining, but the Terps staved off the Nittany Lions down the stretch.

On Maryland’s next possession, redshirt freshman guard Andre Mills made the Terps’ first three-pointer of the second half and their first field goal in over six minutes. 

Coit’s first three of the second half came with 7:59 remaining, extending Maryland’s lead back to 19.

The 5-foot-11 flamethrower made two more threes with less than six minutes left, putting him in range of Ernie Graham’s program-record 44 points and tying the Maryland record for threes in a game at nine.

Coit came up one point shy of the record, but the game could serve as a much-needed confidence boost for a Terps offense that’s been lackluster in recent weeks.

“I don’t want to make everything about me … we got a win, and that’s most important,” Coit said.

Maryland’s 18 three-pointers set a program record, and its 96 points are a season high. The Terps may need another outstanding offensive performance to contend with No. 13 Illinois on Wednesday.