Nov. 5, 2005

Recap |  Final Stats |  Quotes

• The Maryland basketball team, sparked by a 16-0 first half run, tipped off the 2005-06 season with a 90-59 exhibition victory over St. Francis-Xavier of Nova Scotia Saturday afternoon at Comcast Center. Statistics recorded in the game do not count officially, but the game serves as one of two tune-ups prior to the start of the regular season on Nov. 18.

• Mike Jones had 19 points - all but two in the first half -- to lead five Terrapins in double figures. The junior guard came off the bench and connected on 7-of-9 field goals, including 3-of-4 from behind the arc in his 22 minutes of action. Chris McCray and Will Bowers each poured in 13 points, while James Gist and Travis Garrison added 10 points apiece. Garrison and Bowers grabbed seven rebounds apiece to lead a strong effort on the glass, which saw Maryland collect 38 boards - 19 each on the offensive and defensive ends.

• DJ Strawberry performed exceptionally well in his first appearance since a knee injury sidelined him for the last 18 games of the 2004-05 season. The junior guard scored six points, grabbed four rebounds, distributed seven assists (turning the ball over just twice) and led a stout Terrapin defensive effort with six steals (the latter two totals were his most in a Terrapin uniform, although they do not count as career-highs in exhibition games). He also drew two offensive fouls.

• Bowers scored eight consecutive points for the Terps early in the second half, allowing Maryland to maintain its comfortable double-digit lead. All but one of his points came in the second half. Nik Caner-Medley dished out five assists, equaling his previous best in a Terrapin uniform.

• Maryland's tenacious defense was a catalyst on the offensive end. They forced 33 X-Men turnovers, which resulted in 39 Terrapin points. They rejected six shots - four by Bowers - and six Terps had multiple thefts, part of an 18-steal performance. The Terps outscored St. Francis-Xavier 50-24 in the paint, 39-12 off turnovers and 48-5 in bench points. After turning over the ball five times in the opening 8 minutes, Maryland committed just 7 turnovers the rest of the game.

• Garry Gallimore led the X-Men with 17 points and eight rebounds, Zach Russell added 12 points and eight assists, while Tyler Richards reached the double-digit mark with 10 points.

• The X-Men jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the opening three minutes, before Maryland reeled off 16 consecutive points during a 5:05 stretch. Jones capped the spurt with seven straight points, on a pair of thunderous dunks and a trey from the left wing to expand the lead to 18-9 with 12:37 remaining in the half. Maryland forced nine turnovers (six steals) and drew seven fouls in the opening eight minutes.

• The Terps were unable to stretch their lead to double digits until they closed the half on a 16-4 blitz, which got underway with a three-point play by Garrison, who then collected a loose ball and converted a lay-in for a 38-29 Maryland advantage. Strawberry and Jones scored the next eight Maryland points and Garrison gave Maryland its largest first half lead at 48-31 with a pair of free throws with 45 seconds remaining.

• Jones excelled in the opening frame, leading the Terps with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting including 3-of-4 from three-point range. Garrison contributed eight points and a half-high seven rebounds (three offensive) off the bench. Strawberry dished out four assists to lead the Terrapins.

• As a team, Maryland shot 50 percent from the field (18-of-36) in the first stanza. The team exhibited exceptional balance, scoring 24 of their points in the paint and allowed just six points down low. Maryland outscored the X-Men in points off turnovers (18-10), 2nd-chance points (10-2), on the fast break (16-9) and particularly off the bench (30-1) Nine of the 11 Terps who saw action in the first half registered points.

• The Terrapins were exceptionally strong on the defensive end, forcing 16 turnovers - 11 of them steals - registering three blocked shots (two by Bowers) and holding the visitors to just 38.5 percent shooting (10-of-26). Garry Gallimore tallied 11 points to lead the X-Men at the half, while Zach Russell chipped in eight points and four assists.

• The Terps' two exhibition contests, as well as Maryland's three games at the Maui Invitational, will be played with a trio of experimental rules set forth by the NCAA: 1) Moving the 3-point line back 9 inches behind the current arc to create an experimental distance of 20 feet, 9 inches; 2) Widening the free-throw lane by 1 foot on each side; and 3) Placing a restricted arc which is to be three feet from the center of the basket ring.