Tip Time: Penn State
MARYLAND (20-3, 8-2) at PENN STATE (12-12, 4-7)
TIME: 6:00 pm
TV: BTN – Tom Werme and Bob Wenzel on the call.
SERIES: This will be the twentieth meeting between Maryland and Penn State with the Terps currently holding a 12-7 edge all-time. Tuesday night's game will mark the fourth meeting between the two programs as conference opponents. The Terps defeated Penn State 76-73 in their last meeting in State College on Valentine's Day, 2015. Maryland won the lone meeting between the schools last season, 70-64, behind a school single-game freshman record 39 points from Diamond Stone.
The Line: Maryland is a 3 point favorite
The Numbers
OFFENSE: PENN STATE – 72.1 PPG, 41.4 % FG, 36.0 % 3-PT FG. MARYLAND – 75.6 PPG, 45.2 % FG, 36.8 % 3-PT FG.
DEFENSE: PENN STATE – 71.8 PPG, 45.2 % FG, 36.8 % 3-PT FG. MARYLAND – 66.3 PPG, 40.1 % FG, 32.9 % 3-PT FG
THE LINEUPS
MARYLAND
Anthony Cowan – 10.6 points and 3.7 assists per game.
Melo Trimble – 17.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.
Kevin Huerter – 8.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Justin Jackson – 11.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Damonte Dodd – 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
PURDUE
Tony Carr – 12.2 points and 4.0 assists per game.
Shep Garner – 13.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
Josh Reaves – 7.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
Lamar Stevens – 11.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
Mike Watkins – 9.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.
PLAYER TO WATCH – Justin Jackson – After back-to-back double-doubles on the road, Justin Jackson had a somewhat quiet outing at home Saturday against Purdue, scoring just eight points while pulling down five rebounds in 32 minutes of action. But part of his lack of offensive output could have been due to the effort on the defensive end as he helped hold double-figure scorer Vince Edwards scoreless for the first time all season. Jackson's numbers in conference play are significantly better on the road this season, especially shooting it from beyond the arc, where he's 10-of-15 so far. Jackson will have a significant advantage in both height and length over fellow freshman Lamar Stevens, who's struggled scoring the ball of late at home for Penn State.
KEY MATCH-UP – Anthony Cowan vs. Tony Carr – Carr comes into Tuesday night's game averaging a team-leading 13.3 points per game in Big Ten play for the Nittany Lions. He's scored in double figures in each of Penn State's past four games and dished out 14 assists in a triple-overtime loss at Indiana. At 6-foot-3, Carr has a decided size advantage over Cowan, who despite his small stature has proved to be one of Maryland's best rebounders. Cowan himself has been solid over the past four games, dishing out 15 assists while only turning the ball over twice during that span. Cowan is arguably the Terps' best on-ball perimeter defender and he'll have to be at his best Tuesday night against Carr.
STATS AND NOTES – Since joining the Big Ten, the Terps are 14-1 in games following a loss. They have lost back-to-back just once in that span, falling at home last season to Wisconsin, followed by a loss at Minnesota. This season, Maryland was able to bounce back from a tough home loss to Nebraska by defeating Michigan on the road in the first of five straight conference road wins.
After playing in a combined 15 minutes over the previous three games, Michal Cekovsky gave the Terps a much needed boost inside against Purdue. The junior forward finished with 10 points, three rebounds and a career-high six blocks, as he and senior center Damonte Dodd combined for 10 blocks against the Boilermakers. A healthy Ceko moving forward would give Maryland the ability to play bigger inside and give the Terps a much needed offensive post presence.
The Terps are a perfect 8-0 away from Xfinity Center this season, bested only by No. 1 Gonzaga's 11-0 record away from home. Maryland's five-game conference road streak is the longest since the 2001-2002 national championship team. The Terps have never won six straight conference road games.
Maryland is 7-1 this season in games played on Tuesday. The Terps are 6-1 in games airing on BTN this year.
THE PICK
Despite ultimately falling to Purdue in heartbreaking fashion last Saturday, the Terps played one of their best games of the season. Maryland led the Boilermakers for 39 of 40 minutes, showing a national audience they are a team to be reckoned with.
Penn State, too, is coming off of a heartbreaking home loss last Saturday, but the circumstances were a bit different. The Nittany Lions fell to a Rutgers team that had yet to win a conference road game since joining the Big Ten. It was a devastating loss for a Nittany Lion team that had just lost in triple-overtime at Indiana and four of their last five. Penn State now comes into Tuesday night's game having lost five of their last six.
With both teams coming off of home losses and the three previous meetings as conference foes having been decided by a total of 15 points, this game is likely to be close. That said, the Terps are 3-0 against the Nittany Lions since joining the league and have lost back-to-back games in Big Ten play just once in two-plus seasons. These teams appear to be headed in different directions and that momentum alone should be enough for a Terps win. MARYLAND 75, PENN STATE 71