The Terps led for all but four minutes.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Jahmir Young drove into a trap, looked away two defenders and found Jordan Geronimo tightly contested in the corner. With the shot clock winding down, Geronimo drained an unlikely triple — one that turned the game on its head.
Maryland men’s basketball was up two at the time against Rutgers. That bucket catalyzed a 15-0 run, and a lead which never really became in doubt as the Terps blitzed the Scarlet Knights Sunday, 63-46.
Coming into Sunday’s game, Maryland’s road games have been defined by offensive production coming nearly entirely from Young. Sunday, though, he didn’t have to carry the entire offensive load, with all five starters registering at least seven points, four recording double digits.
Geronimo was the focus of that balanced attack, recording 11 points and 11 rebounds for the first double-double of his Maryland career. “It’s always a good feeling, you know, to come home…it was great to be able to do that,” the Newark, New Jersey native said, noting that he had 11 family members in attendance.
Behind the cohesive scoring and a strong defensive effort, the Terps got out to a 12-point advantage at the half.
“Going into halftime, I thought we should’ve been up 18,” head coach Kevin Willard said. “We played that well defensively.”
Young, while not carrying the scoring load, had the ball on a string in the opening 20 minutes, dishing out six assists.
Freshman DeShawn Harris-Smith continued to show off his improving confidence, muscling his way downhill for five of Maryland’s first 10 points. Fellow freshman Jamie Kaiser was also active in the first half, recording a pair of steals and three rebounds off the bench.
Still, it was by no means an efficient brand of basketball by either side. While the Terps took a 30-18 lead into the break, they were fortunate to see Rutgers miss seven of 12 free throws, including the front end of two 1-and-1 chances.
“We were going to the free-throw line and not capitalizing like we needed to,” Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell said.
The Scarlet Knights shot just over 31% from the field in the period, and Maryland’s 10-of-25 clip wasn’t much better.
However, the Terps held Rutgers scoreless for the final 6:09 of the half, and without a field goal for an 11-minute stretch which lasted until the 15:43 mark of the second half.
“We missed shots,” Willard said. “But we’re not getting down as much as we were before [earlier in the season].”
After that point, the game became a physical, tough and emotional slugfest. Up 18, Maryland looked to be in crush control, but an 8-0 Rutgers run, powered behind six points from Jeremiah Williams, electrified the crowd and forced a Maryland timeout.
“We kind of knew they were going to make a run,” Willard said. “So just making little adjustments, tried to get the basketball to [Reese] a little bit.”
However, guard Austin Williams halted his own team’s momentum, being assessed a technical foul after showboating in the face of Donta Scott. Maryland scored the next seven points, and a deafening crowd turned almost silent in a matter of minutes.
Maryland led by double digits the entire second half, with Julian Reese being a large reason why.
Reese scored 15 of his team-high 20 points in the period, which included two clutch and-one buckets.
“As the season’s gone on, I’ve kind of learned how to score out of double teams,” Reese said. “When I passed it out, the defense kind of opened up. Just getting those singles, we eventually get a home run and dunk and score.”
His interior presence, along with that of Geronimo’s, was too much for Rutgers, as the Terps also nearly doubled up the home side on the glass.
Three things to know
1. Maryland’s defense was stifling. Rutgers managed just six field goals in an 18-point first half, and finished the game shooting 37% from the field. Rutgers’ 46 points is tied for its lowest of the season. The Terps also forced 14 turnovers.
2. Geronimo was everywhere. Geronimo, who grew up just a half hour away from Rutgers’ campus, had one of his best games as a Terp. He recorded his first double-double of the season, and provided crucial defense in 29 minutes of action.
3. A much-needed victory. With Sunday’s win, Maryland put itself back in position for a first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament. Two of its final three opponents, Indiana and Penn State, are also fighting for that position.
“This time of year, you could either pack it in a little bit and have a shitty attitude, or you can try to keep on fighting to make something happen,” Willard said.