Terps Trample Detroit, 79-54
12/9/2001 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec 9, 2001
By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - After a somber week, Maryland forward Byron Mouton found a measure of solace on the basketball court.
Playing one day after attending the funeral of his brother, Mouton scored 13 points as No. 3 Maryland extended its non-conference home winning streak to 81 with a 79-54 rout of Detroit on Sunday night.
It was the seventh straight win for the Terrapins (7-1), who got 17 points from Lonny Baxter, 14 from Tahj Holden and 12 from Juan Dixon.
Mouton provided the inspiration.
The senior forward left the team Monday after learning that his brother, Kevin, had been shot to death in Houston. Mouton didn't start against the Titans (4-3), instead playing the role of a reserve after missing several days of practice.
"I think it was a relief for him just to get back on the court," Maryland coach Gary Williams said. "I asked him if he wanted to play, and he said yes, probably to get his mind off things for two hours."
Mouton went 5-for-7 from the field and contributed four rebounds in 18 minutes.
"I was real comfortable," Mouton said. "The last couple of days I just sat around with my family. To come back was nice. I love to play basketball."
And his teammates loved having him back.
"He's good spirit. We love that dude," Dixon said. "He keeps a smile on everybody's face."
Up by 17 points at halftime, the Terrapins used a 12-2 run to make it 57-32 with 11:35 remaining, assuring themselves of extending the nation's longest non-conference home win streak, a run that began in 1989.
When Mouton was finally pulled, he received a warm ovation from the Cole Field House crowd of 14,327.
"He did a good job at home with his family, then came back and did a good job here," Williams said.
Willie Green led the Titans with 15 points. Detroit, which went 25-12 last season, was coming off a 26-point loss to Oakland University.
"We think this kind of game is going to benefit us," Detroit coach Perry Watson said, "because we don't play anybody as good as Maryland in this environment."
Maryland limited the Titans to 29 percent shooting, forced 11 turnovers and took advantage of six blocked shots by Holden in taking a 40-23 halftime lead.
The Terrapins made 11 of their first 15 shots to go up 23-10. It was 11-7 before Dixon hit a jumper to spark a 10-0 run that included two baskets by Mouton.
"He brings energy to the team. We missed it all week in practice," Baxter said.
Detroit missed 17 of its first 21 field goal attempts and went more than six minutes without a basket before Greg Grays hit a jumper to make it 29-13 with 5:35 left in the half.
"I think we were our own worst enemy," Watson said. "When you play a team like Maryland on their floor and have 11 turnovers in one half, that hurts you."
