COLLEGE PARK, MD — Maryland fell to Oregon by a 64-54 final on Friday night at XFINITY Center.
Solomon Washington had a big night for the Terps (7-7, 0-3 Big Ten), but Oregon dealt the final blows in the conference clash.
Washington led the charge for the Terps on Friday. He led all scorers with 11 points in the first half and finished with a season-high 17 points and 12 rebounds for his fourth-career double-double.
Isaiah Watts recorded 11 points on a trio of three-pointers while Darius Adams pitched in nine points, four rebounds and three assists. A Terps surge in the second half evened the game at 43-43, but a late Oregon run pushed the Ducks past Maryland in the second-ever meeting between the two schools.
Oregon benefited from 12+ points from three different players as the Ducks claimed their first conference win of the season in their first-ever trip to College Park. Maryland forced 14 Oregon turnovers against a Ducks team that entered averaging 12.6 per game.
How It Happened:
1st Half:
- Watts got the Terps on the board with his first points, cutting Oregon's early lead to 4-2.
- A Watts three opened the Terps' first lead of the game.
- Maryland kept the Ducks off the board for over three minutes during an 8-0 run.
- Oregon responded with a 9-0 run to regain a 15-8 lead.
- Maryland forced the game's first five turnovers.
- Myles Rice got on the board with a layup, cutting the deficit to 17-12.
- Washington nailed a three to keep Maryland within six points, 21-15.
- David Coit got on the board with a three-pointer with just over five minutes left in the half.
- Adams cut Oregon's lead to 30-25 with a wide-open three.
- Washington became the game's first player to reach double figures with a pair of free throws in the final minutes.
- Oregon took a 34-27 lead into the break.
2nd Half.
- Washington scored the first points of the second half.
- Adams scored four quick points to cut Oregon's lead to 37-33.
- Washington set a new season high in points heading into the first media timeout.
- Elijah Saunders hit a three to tie the game at 43-43 and ignite XFINITY Center.
- Washington secured his fourth-career double-double with a rebound late in the half.
- An Oregon run put the Ducks ahead 55-45 with four minutes to play.
- A Watts three-pointer brought him up to eight points late in the contest.
- Oregon took a timeout with a minute to play and a 58-51 lead.
- The Ducks held on to close out the 64-54 win.
Double-Digit Days:
- Washington posted his second-straight double-double with a season-high 17 points on Friday. He's scored in double figures three times this season and 20 times in his career.
- Watts (11 points) tallied double-digit scoring for the third time this year and the 19th time in his collegiate career.
Buzz Williams' Breakdown:
- "I would judge a lot of the things we were trying offensively as the right thing to do. I thought we shot a lot of green-light shots. We just didn't make them."
- "I thought our preparation was as good as it's been all year long."
- "Solomon's really intelligent. I thought his mentality toward attacking improved."
- "I thought we improved in the second half relative to the pace in which we were attacking."
- "We were dramatically faster in the second half than we were in the first half."
- "Solomon's concentration level was the best it has been. His flow is better."
Solomon's Sweet Seventeen:
- "All I know is rebounds. I've been coached for four years by Buzz and that's the main focus."
- "It feels good to score the ball, but it feels better to win."
- "I'm never going to back down. That's who I am. I want the toughest challenge. I want to guard the toughest player and play in the highest environments. That's who I am."
Numbers To Know:
- 2: Friday's contest was just the second-ever meeting between the Terps and Ducks
- 11: The Terps made 11 free throws on 14 attempts on Friday.
- 14: Maryland forced 14 Oregon turnovers.
- 12: Washington had 12 of Maryland's 37 rebounds.
- 17: Washington scored a season-high 17 points, just one short of his career high.
- 2,817: The Terps and Ducks' respective arenas are separated by 2,817 miles of Big Ten country.
Up Next:
- Maryland stays home to take on Indiana on Jan. 7. Tipoff is slated for 6:30 PM and the game will air on BTN.
