Nov. 6, 2004

Box Score |  Quotes |  Notes

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - Travis Garrison scored 20 points, and Maryland overcame a lackluster first half to beat Bryant College 100-85 in an exhibition game Friday night.

Maryland, the defending Atlantic Coast Conference champions, trailed 48-46 at halftime against Bryant, a Division II school that last season finished fourth in the Northeast-10 Conference.

Burned for 12 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes, the Terrapins tightened their defense in the second half but still needed a late surge to finally put away the pesky Bulldogs.

Ekene Ibekwe had 19 points and nine rebounds, and John Gilchrist scored 18 for the Terrapins.

John Williams scored 27 for Bryant, which went 23-10 last season and reached the regional finals of the NCAA Division II tournament. The Bulldogs went 12-for-27 from beyond the arc in the first half and finished 15-for-40.

Bryant was outscored at the line 35-12.

Maryland trailed 57-56 before Nik Caner-Medley scored six straight points and Chris McCray hit a 3-pointer to make it 65-57 with 14:25 left. But Bryant refused to wilt, and closed to 71-70 on a basket by Williams with 9:37 to go.

D.J. Strawberry then made a breakaway layup for the Terrapins, and Ibekwe followed a steal with two foul shots for a five-point cushion. Then, after a Bryant misfire, Garrison sank two at the line and Strawberry added a free throw to make it 78-70 with 7:52 remaining.

Bryant never got closer than five points the rest of the way.

The Bulldogs started strong, making four 3-pointers in the opening four minutes to take a 12-2 lead. Maryland missed its first four shots, and with eight minutes elapsed had only four baskets.