Suffocating defense leads Maryland men’s basketball to 63-54 victory over UCONN in First Round of NCAA Tournament

(Photograph Courtesy of Maryland Athletics.)

UCONN forward Adama Sanogo sprinted out to contest Donta Scott just outside the three-bespeak line. Scott utilized a shot fake and beelined towards the paint as he levitated from just across the restricted expanse for a thunderous throwdown jam.

That dunk sent the Maryland bench and faithful into euphoria at Mackey Arena as Maryland'south lead extended to 45-32 with 14:16 remaining. Maryland'due south defence force suffocated the Huskies' throughout packing the paint not allowing prolific baby-sit James Bouknight to find a rhythm in the 63-54 victory.

Darryl Morsell often served as the primary defender, but Maryland's defensive strategy to pack the paint proved constructive. The Terps suffocated the Huskies throughout, limiting them to just 32.8% shooting overall and 31.8% from iii. With the victory Maryland has now won its first round NCAA Tournament matchup 14 of its last fifteen appearences.

"Our guys played with great toughness and really dedicated," caput coach Marking Turgeon said. "Our defense continued to get better every bit the game went on."

Eric Ayala led Maryland's offense throughout with 23 points, on an efficient 8-14 from the field and 3-v from three. Aaron Wiggins tacked on 14 points, while Scott added 12 points and iv rebounds in a resurgent performance. Hakim Hart likewise provided a spark down the stretch with dorsum-to-back clutch baskets.

Entering Sat nighttime's competition, UCONN was one of the peak offensive rebounding teams in the country and that was on full display, as the Huskies had 22 offensive rebounds, simply amounted simply 11 second-chance points. On the game's opening possession, the Huskies grabbed four offensive rebounds leading to a broad open up iii for R.J. Cole.

However, Maryland managed to counteract UCONN'southward offensive rebounding prowess with Ayala spearheading the offensive attack early on. The inferior guard scored eleven of the team's offset 15 points, finding success both driving downhill and shooting from behind the arc.

"Just taking what the defense gives me, they were kind of giving me the lane," Ayala said. "When they sagged off, I call up I hit a few bound shots. Simply any the squad needed."

Every bit the first one-half progressed, Bouknight started to percolate bringing the Huskies' crime some success. Back-to-back triples from Bouknight and Jalen Gaffney gave the Huskies a 19-18 with 7:56 remaining in the first half.

However, the remainder of the first half it was all Maryland as the Terps closed the half on a 15-iii run. That stretch was fueled past stifling defense plus effective offense making the Huskies' pay for lapses defensively. Over that period, UCONN missed 15 of its final sixteen shots of the half, unable to have the chapeau off the basket.

Ayala started the run with his second triple of the game, indicative of the Terps' prolific three-betoken shooting in the first half. Scott and Wiggins promptly followed that up with back-to-back threes, function of the Terps' 6-of-eight shooting from three in the start half.

"Guys were fresh and we played inside out," Turgeon said. "Nosotros did a really squeamish job of getting in the pigment and making some plays and getting guys open looks."

Subsequently over four minutes without a basket, Tyler Polley stopped the bleeding for the Huskies with a iii. That basket with 3:38 remaining was the Huskies terminal ane of the first half, trailing by 11 at the intermission. Despite grabbing 18 offensive rebounds, UCONN shot a porous 25% from the field and only amounted nine 2nd-chance points off those opportunities.

Sensing information technology needed a spark, the Huskies responded first out of the pause with back-to-back buckets trimming the lead to single digits.

Nevertheless, Maryland delivered a response of its own with vii consecutive points by Ayala and Wiggins pushing the lead to fourteen. Cole and Sanogo responded with baskets to trim the arrears, only Maryland's offense was rejuvenated by a pair of dunks from Wiggins and Scott that electrified both the demote and fans.

In a tight defensive battle, Gaffney cutting Maryland's lead to 9 with vii:46 remaining on a pair of free throws. Soon after, the Huskies' momentum was thwarted every bit Wiggins buried a corner three off an out of bounds play extending Maryland'due south atomic number 82 to 53-41 with seven minutes remaining.

The ensuing 4:07, the Terps' offense was stymied due to stagnation and lack of ball movement. During that menstruum UCONN's crime thrived as Gaffney, Polley and Bouknight each converted a handbasket that trimmed Maryland's 12-indicate pb to five with 2:53 remaining.

In need of a basket, Maryland went back to Ayala. As he did all night the junior drove difficult downhill towards the basket and drew contact. He buried both free throws followed past a pair of complimentary throws from Morsell in the one-and-one state of affairs that extended the pb to nine with 2:12 remaining.

With time winding down, Maryland's defense remained stifling, ending the Huskies' season silencing their comeback hopes.

Hart put the finishing touches on the win with a pair of important lay-ups down the stretch, cementing the Terps' victory and a coming together with No. ii seed Alabama in the Round of 32 on Monday.

"A lot of people didn't remember much of us, a lot of experts didn't think we'd win this game," Ayala said. "That's the most soaking in moment for me. No matter what barriers people try to put on me or my team all yr we've but been fighting."

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