The old saying goes, “defense wins championships,” right? For Mark Turgeon and his Maryland Terrapins, their defense will take them as far as they go during the NCAA Tournament. Saturday, that notion was on full display, as 10-seed Maryland knocked off the seventh-seeded Connecticut Huskies 63-54.
Eric Ayala scored 14 of his game-high 23 points in the first half, as Maryland seized control of the game early on. Aaron Wiggins added 14 points and Donta Scott 12 for the Terrapins.
Maryland defense shut down James Bouknight, Connecticut
But, it was the defensive effort that pushed Maryland into the Round of 32. They held the Huskies to 32.3% shooting from the field. That included Connecticut going 7-of-23 for 30.4% from three.
Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Darryl Morsell led the charge in hampering James Bouknight for a full 40 minutes. Bouknight, who played the entire game, shot 6-of-16 from the field, including 1-of-6 from three. He finished with 15 points. Teammate RJ Cole struggled through 3-of-12 shooting from the floor. Cole finished with nine points.
This was the 12 game Maryland held an opponent to under 60 points. The Terrapins are now 11-1 when their opponents score less than 60 points.
Maryland countered with efficient offense
Maryland was meticulous on the offensive end. The Terrapins shot 51.2% from the field, including 9-of-18 from three. Maryland controlled the flow of the game, and moved the ball to find easier shots.
Ayala was 8-of-14 shooting from the field. He made 3-of-5 from three. Wiggins was 5-of-9, including 4-of-6 from three. It was Wiggins who drained a crucial three from the corner with seven minutes remain that extended Maryland’s lead to 53-41.
Still, Connecticut wouldn’t go away and responded with a 7-0 run to cut their deficit to five at 53-48. But, Maryland tightened their defense even when they were struggling to score. Then they made free throws. Ayala and Morsell made clutch free throws on back-to-back possessions with just over two minutes to play, making their lead insurmountable for Connecticut.
What’s next for the Terrapins
Maryland moves on to face No. 2 seed Alabama in the East Region. They’ll face the SEC regular season and tournament champions Monday. Tip-off is set for 8:45 p.m.
