Maryland moved to 4-0 to open up the Kevin Willard era, defeating Saint Louis 95-67 behind a career-high tying 25 points from senior forward Donta Scott.
With the win, Kevin Willard is the first coach in school history to start 4-0 in his first season with the Terps.
The Terps will get right back after it on Sunday when they take on the winner of Miami-Providence in the championship game of the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off.
Here are three takeaways from the second win of the season.
The Terps showed they are capable of being a good three-point shooting team
Maryland entered Saturday's game with Saint Louis as one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the country, making just 25.4 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc through three games.
Georgetown transfer Don Carey, in particular, really struggled through the first three games, shooting just 2-of-14 from three. Carey broke out of his slump in a big way versus the Billikens, going 4-for-10 from behind the three-point line as the Terps made 13-of-32 (40.6%) three-point attempts as a team.
It wasn't just the number of long balls the Terps made either, but how open so many of those looks were. Most of Maryland's made threes came within the offense either on ball reversals, kick outs or finding a wide open man on the wing on the break. Given the way the Terps have defended so far this season, if they can continue to make their threes at a high clip moving forward, they are going to really surprise some people.
Maryland is elite defensively
Maryland entered Saturday's game versus Saint Louis ranked 6th nationally in scoring defense, allowing opponents to score just 50.7 points per game. On the flip side, Saint Louis entered their game with Maryland ranked tied-26th in scoring offense, averaging 88.0 points per game, including a 90-point outing in their previous game versus Memphis. Something had to give.
Maryland flexed their muscles on defense early and often versus the Billikens, holding Saint Louis to just 27 first-half points, en route to a 24-point halftime lead.
The Terps were able to use their size advantage to out-rebound the Billikens 37-31, including 13 offensive rebounds for Maryland. The Terps also used their pressure and athleticism in the backcourt to create 14 turnovers and score 14 fast break points.
Four games in, it seems apparent this Maryland team is among the nation's best defensively.
Ian Martinez shows off versatility
One of the most talked about players coming into the season was junior guard Ian Martinez. He has been praised by head coach Kevin Willard as the team's top perimeter defender, but through three games, the offense was not really there, as he averaged just four points per game.
Martinez finally broke out offensively versus Saint Louis, scoring 14 points, going 6-of-8 from the field, while also adding 4 rebounds and assist and a steal, all in just 18 minutes of action.
Three of Martinez' four rebounds came on the offensive end, including a high-flying put back where he attacked the boards as the defense failed to block him out. He also scored in transition, showing he is capable of handling the ball, bringing it up the court quickly and finishing at the rim.
Finally, Martinez was tasked with defending star point guard Yuri Collins, who finished 0-for from the field in the first half.
Foul trouble remains somewhat of an issue for Martinez, as he had to sit early in the first half after picking up two quick fouls. But Martinez looks like he will be an important piece for the Terps this season on both offense and defense.
