Nov. 19, 2004

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By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - Travis Garrison scored a career-high 21 points, and No. 15 Maryland pulled away from Jackson State after halftime in a season-opening 93-57 victory Friday night.

Before the game, the Terrapins took down the banner commemorating their 2004 Atlantic Coast Conference championship. Coach Gary Williams has stressed that last season's accomplishments will have no bearing on the fate of this team, even though Maryland returns four starters from the squad that went 20-12 in 2003-04.

That list includes Garrison, who went 6-for-10 from the floor and 9-for-9 at the foul line. The junior forward matched his previous career high of 19 points with four minutes gone in the second half.

Ekene Ibekwe had a career-high 17 points and eight rebounds for the Terrapins, who had six players score in double figures. Maryland is 102-2 in non-conference home games since Williams arrived before the 1989-90 season.

Dakari Wallace scored 11 points, and Kelly Ross and Antonio Williams-Parker had 10 apiece for Jackson State. The Tigers committed 27 turnovers and were outscored at the line 28-4.

Ahead by 14 at halftime, Maryland quickly expanded the margin behind Garrison, who scored nine points in an 18-6 run that made it 56-30. Then, after Williams-Parker hit a 3-pointer, Maryland scored 18 straight points to go up by 41.

Despite going 11-for-36 from the floor and 3-for-11 from 3-point range in the first half, Maryland forced 20 turnovers and limited the Tigers to 31-percent shooting in taking a 38-24 lead.

The Terrapins led by only eight points with 14 minutes elapsed before Garrison hit two free throws and Chris McCray scored on a breakaway dunk to spark a 10-0 run that made it 35-17.

Jackson State went 3-for-12, committed nine turnovers and had four shots blocked in the opening 7{ minutes. During that time, five different Maryland players scored during an 11-0 run that built the margin to 12 points.

Williams-Parker ended the Tigers' scoring drought with a layup, but it proved to be their lone points over a span of nearly 10 minutes. With 7:40 left in the first half, Jackson State had more turnovers than points (13-11).