NEWARK, NJ – Maryland men's basketball overcame a 14-point deficit to get past Villanova, 76-75, in the Saatva Empire Classic on Sunday at Prudential Center. The Terps improved to 5-1 on the season.
The Terps faced a 14-point deficit at 1:14 in the first half. They battled back and earned their first lead since the deficit at 8:46 in the second after Derik Queen made a second-chance fadeaway jumper. The shot was part of a 19-5 run since the 14:02 mark of the second.
The game went back and forth from that point on, but the Terps closed out the game with two free throws by Queen to lead 76-75 with 21.7 seconds remaining. They then got two stops on the defensive end to clinch the win. The comeback win down 14 points was the largest since trailing by 17 points at Minnesota (47-30) with 0:43 left in the first half on Feb. 26, 2020.
Big men Queen (22 points) and
Julian Reese (18 points) led the way by combining for 40 points. Queen added 11 rebounds and five assists, and Reese added 10 rebounds and two blocks. The last time two Terps recorded double-doubles in the same game was when Reese (19 points and 12 rebounds) and
Jahmir Young (16 points and 12 rebounds) did it against Rutgers on Feb. 6, 2024.
Rodney Rice and Ja'Kobi Gillespie added strong performances. Rice provided 16 points, and Gillespie added 12. Gillespie has scored double in all six games for Maryland.
Villanova fell to 3-4 on the year. Eric Dixon led the Wildcats with a career-high 38 points.
This was just the seventh time both teams faced each other. The Terps picked up their second win in the series and first since 1985.
Willard's Take
"We're still only five games in, six games in, still learning this team. We have a little bit of a coolness factor sometimes at the start of games. Then, all of a sudden, I challenged them at half to come out and play more physical, be the more physical team. I thought Julian, Derik and DeShawn [Harris-Smith] did a great job of just being more physical."
Breaking Down The Action
- At the first media timeout, Villanova led 7-5. Julian Reese scored all five of Maryland's points.
- The Wildcats sparked an 11-0 run to lead 15-5. The Terps burned a timeout at 13:23.
- The Terps cut the lead to two possessions at 18-13 at 11:19 in the first half.
- Maryland made five of its last six shots from the floor but trailed 27-19 at 7:52. Reese led with nine points, but Villanova held the advantage because of its hot shooting from three.
- The Wildcats' lead was 35-24 at 3:08, and they later led 40-28 at halftime. Eric Dixon tallied 22 points entering the locker room.
- Maryland cut the deficit to seven after a jumper by Derik Queen at 14:55.
- The Terps tied the game at 55 after Ja'Kobi Gillespie drilled two free throws at 9:46.
- Terps closed out the game with two free throws by Queen to lead 76-75 with 21.7 seconds remaining. They then got two defensive stops.
Double-Figure Factors
- Freshman Derik Queen scored 22 points for double-digit points for the fifth time in his career. He also accomplished the feat in four straight games.
- Julian Reese recorded 18 points for his 59th career game in double digits. He has scored double figures for the third time this season.
- Rodney Rice netted 16 points and scored in double digits for his eighth career game. It was his fifth game in double figures.
- Ja'Kobi Gillespie scored 12 points and earned his 46th career game in double figures. It was his sixth game in a row scoring double digits.
Juju Beast
- Julian Reese scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the 24th double-double of his career. Last season, he posted 15 double-doubles, which were the ninth most nationally and stood second in the Big Ten during the regular season.
- Since 2010-11, Reese has had the fourth-most double-doubles of any Terp. Bruno Fernando and Jordan Williams are tied for second with 25 double-doubles.
- Reese ranks 14th on Maryland's all-time rebounds list. He now has 745 boards. He tied for 13th place with Len Bias (745 from 1982-86).
- The big man also blocked two shots and ranked 10th on Maryland's all-time blocked shots list. He has 131 in his career and is nearing Tahj Holden (132 in 1999-03) in ninth place.
- Reese finished last season with an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honor and was named to this season's Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award Watch List.
Reunion At the Prudential Center
- Maryland head coach Kevin Willard returned to coach in the Prudential Center for the first time since coaching at Seton Hall from 2010-22. Seton Hall played its home games at the Prudential Center.
- Willard amassed a 122-52 record at the Prudential Center during his 12 seasons coaching at Seton Hall.
Numbers And Nuggets
- 1: This was Maryland's first win over Villanova since 1985.
- 2: Two Terps recorded double-doubles in the game.
- 2: Derik Queen recorded his second double-double of his career.
- 4: Four Terps recorded double figures.
- 5: The Terps are now 5-1 this season.
- 6: Ja'Kobi Gillespie has scored double figures in each of their first six games as a Terp.
- 14: Maryland overcame a 14-point deficit to win.
- 22: Queen tied his career-high with 22 points.
- 24: Julian Reese recorded the 24th double-double of his career.
- 40: Queen and Reese combined for 40 points.
Up Next
- Maryland will return to XFINITY Center on Wednesday, Nov. 27, for a game against Bucknell. The game will tip at 4:30 p.m. and be broadcast on Big Ten Network and Maryland Sports Radio Network.
