No. 18 Maryland men’s basketball downs Rutgers 90-81

Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics

A tic-tac-toe sequence in which the ball just seemed to flow from one Terrapin to the next, ultimately finding fifth-year forward Jordan Geronimo all alone under the basket for a thunderous slam. Less than a minute later, the same exact thing happened, sending the Xfinity Center crowd into a raucous frenzy.

Geronimo’s four points – his only points of the afternoon and first in four games – may have been the best-looking back-to-back possessions for Maryland men’s basketball this season. The energy propelled the No. 18 Maryland men’s basketball (18-6, 8-5 Big Ten) to a convincing 90-81 victory over Rutgers (12-12, 5-8 Big Ten) on Sunday in College Park.

Coming off a frustrating loss Thursday night at Ohio State, Maryland had another tough game, welcoming top NBA prospects Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper to the Xfinity Center. In front of nearly 50 scouts representing 23 NBA teams, the Terps responded with a needed turnaround game.

“I told [Harper] I couldn’t wait for this game,” freshman center Derik Queen said. “I felt like things were going my way.”

Queen spearheaded the effort, scoring a career-high 29 points and adding 15 rebounds and five assists for his seventh double-double of the season. He is the first player to log a 25-10-5 game in the Big Ten this season.

Fifth-year guard Selton Miguel was explosive, going 5-for-8 from beyond the 3-point line on the way to 17 points.

Junior forward Tafara Gapare, who usually subs in on Maryland’s second unit, was listed as questionable before the game and did not play. As a result, the Terps needed someone to fill in Gapare’s minutes, and Geronimo did just that.

Geronimo’s impact was undeniable, especially in the first half. His dose of steals, blocks, offensive rebounds, and jaw-dropping slams ignited the room in his most minutes since Jan. 2. He personified the Terps’ defensive gameplan in the first frame, which limited Bailey and Harper to just 14 combined points.

“J.G. gives us energy. He brings a defensive spark, dunks, and gets the crowd going,” sophomore guard Rodney Rice said.

Geronimo left the game in the second half with his jaw wrapped in a towel after appearing to catch an elbow on a Rutgers layup. He returned to the bench a few minutes later but did not check back in. Head coach Kevin Willard said he anticipates Geronimo needing “a few stitches.”

Harper ended with 20 points, while Bailey’s four points all came in the first half. The two were not the only Scarlet Knight freshmen to get involved, with center Lathan Sommerville and forward Dylan Grant each finishing with at least 12 to eclipse their season averages.

“The biggest thing for us – knowing [Harper and Bailey] were young, knowing they’ve never seen pressure in this building – was to just keep pressing,” Willard said. “It’s all we talked about for a two-and-a-half-hour practice.”

Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell said Bailey battled through an illness that has affected several members of the team. Bailey played a season-low 24 minutes.

Maryland started slow, missing their first eight shot attempts and not getting on the board until more than three minutes had elapsed. But a solid defensive effort and early stifling of Rutgers’ two stars kept the game close.

Midway through the half, the Terps suffered through another tough stretch when Willard employed a rotation of Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Rodney Rice, Malachi Palmer, Geronimo, and Julian Reese.

But Miguel’s hot shooting hand pulled Maryland out of the deficit as the team found its rhythm on both ends of the floor. The Geronimo sequence was the highlight of a dominant end to the half, which Maryland ended leading 49-38.

“I was just open. Coach Willard told me to keep shooting the ball,” Miguel said.

Rutgers continued mounting small comeback attempts in the second half, but the Terps offense became too much for the Knights to handle. Queen consistently got to the rim and the free-throw line, widening Maryland’s lead.

The Terps will travel to Nebraska to play the Cornhuskers on Thursday night.