Maryland basketball played solid defense
I’ve already discussed how much I liked Turgeon’s decision to employ the 2-2-1 zone press. Against Wisconsin, the Terps needed to do a variety of things defensively to stop their high powered offense. So what did they do? They employed the 2-2-1 zone press at different points in the game and mixed in the 3-2 zone and man-to-man defensive schemes.
D’Mitrik Trice going off for 25 points in this game is something that Maryland basketball could live with. They had to stop Reuvers and Potter from doing damage offensively. Reuvers didn’t score until midway through the second half and finished with eight points and six rebounds. Potter finished with five rebounds and four points.
That allowed the Terps to slow down the Badgers offensive momentum to get an early 8-0 run to tie the game at 34 in the second half and pull away late.
Eric Ayala, Darryl Morsell, and Aaron Wiggins gave the Terps a spark
If Ayala, Morsell, and Wiggins needed to have a great game collectively, why not after Christmas against Wisconsin? They combined for 40 of the teams 70 points and 17 rebounds. Ayala continues to impress with his three-point shooting and driving ability. That’s exactly what the Terps need out of him in conference play and he never seems rattled no matter what’s going on out there.
Morsell made his mark defensively with three key blocks in the game and he was second on the team with five rebounds. He was hampered by a shoulder injury earlier this season but has gotten his rhythm back.
Wiggins didn’t get any shots to go down from the perimeter but that didn’t matter. He still scored 15 points and pulled down nine rebounds. His highlight plays include scoring the first of the game for the Terps with an effortless dribble-drive for an easy layup, connecting with Ayala on an alley-oop, and stealing the ball for a dunk on the fast break.