Terps outlasted by No. 9 Oregon, remain winless on the road

Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics

Oregon sophomore guard Jackson Shelstad shot 5-for-5 from beyond the arc, despite a 26.7% clip on the season, en route to an 83-79 home win for the Ducks (13-2, 2-2 Big Ten) over Maryland (11-4, 1-3 Big Ten) in the two programs’ first ever meeting Sunday.

Their second straight loss, the Terrapins remain in search of their first road win. Still, the team’s effort against the ninth-ranked Ducks was much more impressive than the previous showing against Washington Thursday night.

Sophomore guard Rodney Rice led Maryland with 19 points on 5-for-8 shooting. Freshman center Derik Queen was close behind with 17, adding five rebounds. Junior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie showed no lack of confidence after a one-point outing against Washington, finishing with 16.

“I thought our pace was much better,” head coach Kevin Willard said. “We have to just get back, spend three days of good practice back in College Park and get our defense back to where it needs to be.”

Five Oregon players finished in double figures, headlined by Shelstad’s 23. Senior center Nate Bittle had 16 with six boards, while senior guard Keeshawn Barthelemy had 14 and five helpers.

The game was tight throughout, with Oregon taking a slight edge in field goal percentage (51.8 – 47.5). Both teams shot 42.9% from three-point range, though Oregon’s conversions overall were more frequent in the second half.

Maryland’s increased energy from Thursday was evident from the jump. They held a three-point lead at halftime, seeing deeper production from throughout the lineup. Sophomore guard DeShawn Harris-Smith and senior guard Jay Young once again provided some spark off the bench.

“The bench has really been good. I have a lot of confidence in those guys,” Willard said.

Willard also said he has noticed a trend where the starting five opens the game in rhythm, but struggles to begin the second half.

Senior wing Jordan Geronimo, who also brought energy off the bench against Washington, played just one minute in Sunday’s contest.

The beginning of the second half looked bleak for the Terps, as Oregon embarked on a 14-0 run and took their first lead of the game, ultimately rising to nine.

However, Rice had the answers for Maryland, including two trips to the free throw line on three-point shots, completing a four-point play on one of them.

Gillespie and Queen also got into the act in the second half, pushing the Terrapins to briefly retake the lead as late as 4:34 left.

Shelstad’s hot hand proved to be too much to handle for Maryland’s defense, though, as he and Bittle iced the game with free throws down the stretch.

“We have to come up with rebounds late in the games. That’s two games in a row,” Willard said.

The Terrapins trip to the west coast ends winless, as they now look ahead to a home matchup Jan. 10 against UCLA, currently ranked 15th.