COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Behind a suffocating defensive effort and a career-night from Julian Reese, the Terps routed Western Carolina 71-51 on Thursday night at XFINITY Center.
Reese set personal bests in points (19), rebounds (12), and made field goals (seven). He also notched the first double-double of his career.
Jahmir Young added 16 points and has reached double-figures in each of his first two games as a Terp. He also grabbed five boards.
Maryland employed a stifling defense to set the tone early, giving the Terps a 32-15 halftime lead. Western Carolina shot just 20 percent from the field in the opening period and coughed it up 10 times. The Terps got 12 points off those turnovers, including multiple run-out dunks. The Catamounts' 15 points were the fewest the Terps had allowed in a half since they only surrendered 14 points in the first half against Michigan State on Dec. 30, 2014. It was also the fewest allowed at home at Comcast/XFINITY Center since Dec. 28, 2005, when Delaware State was held to 13 points.
The Terps extended their lead further in the second half behind increased offensive production. They shot 50 percent in the final 20 minutes and got 13 fastbreak points.
Maryland won the points in the paint battle 46-20.
Willard's Takes
"These kids are playing so hard. I'm having fun just watching them. They're playing together, they're talking, they're communicating. To be this connected defensively this early is really good."
"This is the Julian I see everyday in practice. He's been like this for the past month. What I saw the first game was a guy that didn't play a whole lot last year and had a little nerves in his first game. What I saw today was a kid that accepted my challenge and wanted to be dominant. I think you're just seeing a small sliver of how good Julian can be."
Breaking Down The Action
- Reese scored 10 of Maryland's first 14 points as the Terps jumped out to an early 14-8 lead.
- The Terps went into halftime leading 32-15 thanks to a dominant defensive effort. They held the Catamounts to just 6-of-30 shooting, forced 10 turnovers, and held Western Carolina to two separate scoring droughts of at least four minutes.
- Maryland steadily built its lead in the second half behind nine more points from Reese and a couple of timely threes. The Terps made 15 of 30 shots in the half.
Dominant Defense
- The Terps only allowed 15 points in the first half of action, the fewest points they have allowed in a half since they gave up just 14 points in the first half on Dec. 30, 2014 at Michigan State. That was the Terps first-ever Big Ten win after joining the conference, taking a 68-66 victory in double overtime.
- It was also Maryland's best defensive effort at home in a first half since holding Delaware State to just 13 points on Dec. 28, 2005 in a 68-54 victory.
- For the second game in a row, the Terps were stingy defensively. They followed up a game where they held Niagara to 40 percent shooting and no threes with a game where they held WCU to 17-63 overall shooting (27 percent).
- Against WCU, Maryland forced 17 turnovers which it converted into 22 points.
Double-Figure Update
- Reese scored in double-figures for the eighth time in his career with his career-high 19. He reached his 10th point not even eight minutes into the game.
- Young scored in double-figures for the second time in as many games as a Terp with 16. He now has 77 career games in double-figures.
- Hakim Hart netted 10 points for his 26th career game with 10 or more points, and first this season.
Closing In On 1,000
- With seven points tonight, Donta Scott needs just 49 to reach 1,000 for his career [951]. That will make him the third player on the active roster to have 1,000 career points. Don Carey now has [1,222], while Jahmir Young leads the team with [1,451].
Positive Contributions For The Season
- Hakim Hart leads the Terps with an outstanding +60 rating through two games. Donta Scott is +40, while Jahmir Young is +36. The trio are the top players in terms of +/- early in the season.
Series History
- Maryland is now 3-0 all-time against Western Carolina.
2-0 On The Year
- Maryland improved to 2-0 to start a season for the 10th consecutive year. The last time the Terps did not start 2-0 was a 72-69 loss to Kentucky in the 2012-13 season opener.
Notes and Nuggets
- With tonight's 71-51 victory the Terps recorded back-to-back 20-plus point victories. This is the first time Maryland has tallied consecutive 20 point wins since defeating Navy (78-57) and North Carolina A&T (82-59) in November of 2018.
- With a free throw at the 10:10 mark, Reese set a new career-high in points, besting his previous high of 13. He also recorded his first career double-double.
Up Next
- The Terps will welcome Binghamton to the XFINITY Center on Tuesday at 7 pm. That game will air on Big Ten Network and the Maryland Sports Network.
