Maryland's third win in five days looked a lot like the second one. The Terps came out flat and struggled early on, trailing Vermont 36-32 at the half. The Catamounts would hit a quick three to open the scoring in the second half before the Terps picked up the defensive intensity and went on a 9-0 run to take a 41-39 lead with 14:41 remaining. Vermont would not regain the lead again the rest of the way as the Terps pulled away late.
Below is a quick look at how the Terps fared in their 68-57 win over Vermont.
Another Slow Start
The Terps got out to another slow start against Vermont, as they lacked defensive intensity in the first half and struggled shooting the ball, especially from beyond the arc. Maryland was 2-for-11 from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes. Defensively, they allowed Vermont starting guard Ben Shungu to score 20 points in the opening stanza.
The Terps came out with much more intensity and focus in the second half. Maryland shot 42.3% from the field with four made threes in the second half versus 32.4% shooting from the field with two made threes in the opening half. Defensively, the Terps were significantly better in the second half, also, allowing Vermont to score just 21 points after scoring 36 in the first half.
Ayala, Russell Lead the Way
With virtually every other Terp struggling to score the ball, senior guards Eric Ayala and Fatts Russell simply put the team on their backs, combining to score 44 of Maryland's 68 total points. And while they were decent in the first half, they really carried the team down the stretch, combining to score 28 of Maryland's 36 second-half points, including the final nine points scored by Maryland in the game. Russell added five rebounds and two assists, while Ayala had two rebounds and two assists. One area where each needs to improve is from beyond the arc, where they both shot 2-for-8.
Shooting Woes Continue
For a second straight game, the Terps really struggled shooting the ball from the field. Over the past two games versus GW and Vermont, Maryland is shooting 37% from the field. Things get even uglier from beyond the arc, as Maryland shot just 6-of-27 from deep against Vermont after shooting an abysmal 2-for-20 performance versus the Colonials.
The shooting of Donta Scott was particularly troubling versus Vermont, as he went 0-for-5 from beyond the arc and just 2-for-10 overall from the field, finishing with four points in 28 minutes of action. For the season, Scott is shooting just 18.2% from deep after shooting 43.8 % from deep a season ago. The Terps will really need to get Scott going offensively if they want to have the kind of season many think they are capable of having.
Up Next
The Terps will finally get a couple of days to rest up after playing three games in five days before facing George Mason on Wednesday night. Tip off is set for 7:00 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
