Nov. 13, 2004

Recap |  Final Stats |  Quotes

• The Maryland basketball team concluded its two-game 2004-05 exhibition slate Saturday afternoon, using a convincing second-half performance to cruise to an 89-60 victory over a spirited Carleton University (Canada) squad in the teams' first-ever meeting.

• Maryland brought out a seasoned starting lineup that included juniors PG John Gilchrist, SG Chris McCray, SF Nik Caner-Medley, PF Travis Garrison and sophomore C Ekene Ibekwe.

• McCray's 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting paced five Terrapins who scored in double figures. Freshman James Gist had an impressive 13 points in 21 minutes of action, Caner-Medley and Ibekwe totaled 11 points, while DJ Strawberry chipped in 10 points. McCray's nine rebounds left him one shy of a double-double. Caner-Medley and Ibekwe established themselves under the glass, pulling down 4 and 3 offensive rebounds, respectively.

• The Ravens kept close behind Michael Smart's 22 points and Osvaldo Jeanty's 18 points, but Maryland forced 20 turnovers (14 steals; 5 by McCray) that translated into 31 points and 16 fast-break points. They also rejected 9 Raven field goal attempts (4 by Ibekwe, 3 by Will Bowers) and held a dominating advantage at the free throw line. Maryland converted on 27-of-35 attempts, while Carleton was held to just 6-of-8 shooting from the charity stripe.

• The Terrapins scored the game's first nine points, and after the Ravens ran off seven straight to close the gap to two points, Maryland responded with another nine in a row to build a double digit lead. The Terps received a balanced effort from their starters in the opening spurt, as Caner-Medley, McCray and Ibekwe each contributed 4 points, while Gilchrist and Garrison both drained three-point buckets.

• Carleton would pull to within four points with just over five minutes remaining in the half, before Maryland closed the half on a 14-2 surge to extend their lead to 45-29 at the break.

• McCray connected on 5-of-8 first-half field goals, pouring in 11 points and adding a team-high 6 rebounds, while Ibekwe also registered 11 points, including a 6-for-6 effort at the charity stripe, in addition to pulling down five boards and 2 emphatic rejections.

• Maryland's pressure defense rattled Carleton, leading to 12 first-half turnovers (8 steals) that translated into 16 points on the other end. Gilchrist and McCray racked up a pair of steals apiece to lead the Terps' defense.

• The Ravens cut into the 16-point halftime deficit by opening the second stanza on an 11-4 run, led by Osvaldo Jeanty's three treys. Once again, Maryland would answer with 8 straight points, including a thunderous dunk by Gist that brought the Comcast Center crowd to its feet. The Ravens would pull no closer than 11 the remainder of the way.

• During a five-possession stretch midway through the second half, Gist displayed his tremendous ability, having a role in all five plays. He deposited back-to-back lay-ins before Mike Jones (4-of-6 FG, 9 points) was the recipient of a pretty fast-break touch pass from Gist. For an encore, Gist intercepted a Carleton pass and took it the distance for a one-handed jam and then brought the crowd to its feet once again, fighting off several defenders and slamming down an alley-oop feed from DJ Strawberry that gave Maryland a comfortable 75-52 lead.

• Gist's breakout performance (6-of-7 from the field) was part of a game-ending 26-8 run that allowed the Terps to empty their bench. Eleven Terrapins got on the scoreboard as Maryland's bench outscored their counterparts 39-9.