COLLEGE PARK, MD – Virginia Tech transfer Rodney Rice shined in Maryland men's basketball's 86-52 win over Mount St. Mary's in the in-state matchup at XFINITY Center on Friday. Rice netted a career-high 28 points on 10-of-14 shooting.
The Terps (2-0) blew the game open with a 36-7 run during the final 8:35 of the first half to lead 58-26. They remained in control for the rest of the game. The 34-point margin of victory marked the first time since the 2014-15 season that Maryland won its first two games by 30 or more points.
Rice, a sophomore, recorded his career-high in the first half (26) as he comfortably surpassed his previous career-best of 17. He added five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Ja'Kobi Gillespie, a junior transfer from Belmont, added 13 points on 3-of-4 from three-point land. He added two rebounds and two assists. Rice and Gillespie scored double figures in their first two games in a Maryland uniform.
Selton Miguel, a transfer from South Florida, also scored 11 points for his first career game in a Maryland uniform scoring in double figures.
Julian Reese fell just short of a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds.
Maryland has won 11 straight home non-conference games and 17 consecutive against unranked non-conference foes. It dominated the turnover margin 24-6 en route to the victory.
Mount St. Mary's (1-1) was led by Dallas Hobbs' 21 points.
Willard On Rodney's Big Night
"When Ja'Kobi and Rodney are out there, it's two guys that can really shoot and score," head coach Kevin Willard said. "This is the way Rod's been playing for the last two to three weeks in practice. It's the way we played the other night, to be honest with you, when he came in the second half and kind of did the same thing. He's got a great knack to score. He knows how to score, and he's been working hard, so he's playing playing well."
Rice On His Career Night
"The ball found me a lot. I was very fortunate for that. I felt in rhythm when I got it as well."
Breaking Down The Action
- Mount St. Mary's began the game on a 7-0 run, but Selton Miguel's first two points as a Terp, a 3-pointer by Ja'Kobi Gillespie and a dunk by Rodney Rice had Maryland trailing 10-7.
- The Terps earned their first lead of the game at 11:38 in the first as Miguel scored another layup. They led 15-14.
- Maryland forced eight turnovers in less than four minutes, propelling it to a 7-0 run to lead 22-16 at 9:25.
- Maryland blew the game open with a 16-0 run led by Gillespie and Rice. The pair combined for 14 of the points. The run later grew to 36-7 as the half closed. Rice had already reached a career-high with 26 points, and Gillespie netted 13.
- The Terrapins led 67-35 at the second second-half media timeout. The Mountaineers were in the midst of a four-minute scoring drought.
- Maryland closed the game by emptying its bench and cruising to 2-0.
Double-Figure Factors
- Rodney Rice netted 28 points and scored in double digits for his fifth career game. After transferring from Virginia Tech, it was his second game in double figures as a Terp.
- Ja'Kobi Gillespie scored 13 points and earned his 42nd career game in double figures. It was his second game in double digits since transferring from Belmont.
- Selton Miguel scored 11 points and earned his 62nd career game in double figures. It was his first as a Terps since transferring from South Florida.
Hot Rod
- Rodney Rice had a career night in his second game in a Maryland uniform. A transfer from Virginia Tech, Rice netted a career-high 28 points.
- Rice reached his career-high in just the first half (26), surpassing his previous best of 17 points.
- He also became the first Terp since Jahmir Young to score more than 20 points in a half. Young did it at Northwestern last season on Jan. 17.
- The guard has scored double figures in each of his first two games as a Terp.
Numbers And Nuggets To Know
- 2: Rodney Rice and Ja'Kobi Gillespie scored in double figures in their first two games as Terps.
- 3: Chance Stephens knocked down his first 3-pointer as a Terp.
- 11: Maryland has won 11 straight home non-conference games.
- 17: The Terps have won 17 consecutive games against unranked non-conference foes.
- 26: Rice's 26 first-half points made him the first Terp to score 20 points in a half since Jan. 17 of last season when Jahmir Young accomplished the feat at Northwestern.
- 28: Rice recorded a career-high 28 points in the game.
- 34: Maryland's 34-point margin of victory marked the first time since the 2014-15 season that Maryland won its first two games by 30 or more points.
- 36: Maryland mounted its lead with a 36-7 run entering the locker room.
- 58: The Terps scored 58 first-half points.
- 700: Reese reached 700 career rebounds.
Up Next
- Maryland will play Florida A&M at XFINITY Center on Monday, Nov. 11. The game will tip-off at 7 p.m. and be broadcast on Big Ten Plus. The game will also be transmitted on Maryland Sports Radio Network.
