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University of Maryland Athletics

Elijah Saunders Celebrates a Three-Pointer Against Oregon
70
Winner Maryland MD 12-20,4-16 Big Ten
60
Oregon Oregon 12-20,5-15 Big Ten
Winner
Maryland MD
12-20,4-16 Big Ten
70
Final
60
Oregon Oregon
12-20,5-15 Big Ten
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Maryland MD 33 37 70
Oregon Oregon 12 48 60

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Hot Start Lifts Maryland past Oregon, 70-60, in Big Ten Tournament

The Terps used a historic first half to open their Big Ten Tournament run with a dominant win.

CHICAGO, IL — Maryland got its Big Ten Tournament run by breezing past No. 16-seeded Oregon, 70-60, on Tuesday evening. The Terps used a historic half to ensure they never trailed the Ducks as five different players scored in double figures to help extend Maryland's (12-20, 4-16 Big Ten) season. David Coit led the Terps with his 17-point performance in the First Round of the Big Ten Tournament. He hit a trio of three-pointers to propel his Terps into a meeting with No. 9-seeded Iowa on Wednesday at 12 PM.  Elijah Saunders had a big day against Oregon, knocking down a career-high five triples in his 15-point day. He recorded his fifth game in double figures in Maryland's past six contests. Andre Mills pitched in 12 points, six rebounds, and five assists to record his 12 performance with 10+ points in his last 14 games. Maryland kept Oregon from hitting a field goal for the first 11:14 of Tuesday's contest as the Terps built a 14-6 lead. The Ducks' lackluster start saw them start 0-11 from the floor and marked Maryland's best start to a Big Ten Tournament game since 2015 and the longest stretch without allowing a field goal to start a game by any Big Ten team this season.

Oregon scored a season-low 12 first-half points as the Terps held a 33-12 lead over the Ducks at the half, marking Maryland's fewest first-half points allowed in a tournament game since leading NC State 13-11 in 1982, and its fewest allowed in any game since relenting eight to American in 2003.

Coit's 12 first-half points led all scorers in a half that saw Maryland knock home five three-pointers. The Terps pushed their season triple total to 272, which is tied for the second-highest mark in single-season program history. 

Solomon Washington became the fourth Terp in double figures late in the second half as Maryland closed out its first-ever win over Oregon (12-20, 5-15 Big Ten) to advance in the Big Ten Tournament. He scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds as the Terps outgained the Ducks 38-28 on the glass. Darius Adams hit eight free throws in his 10-point game. 
How it Happened:
1st Half:
  • Mills got the scoring started with an early layup.
  • Coit got on the board with a jumper.
  • Mills drained a triple as the Terps opened a 9-0 lead. 
  • Saunders got on the board with a triple that built a 12-2 lead six minutes in.
  • Coit's second three-pointer of the night extended the lead. 
  • Maryland held Oregon scoreless for over three minutes as the lead swelled to 21-8.
  • Coit became the first player in double figures late in the half.
  • Maryland finished the half on a 12-2 run to take a 33-12 lead into the break. 
2nd Half:
  • Coit hit another triple to open Maryland's scoring. 
  • Saunders' third three-pointer brought him up to nine points as Maryland claimed a 39-17 lead. 
  • Oregon used a 7-0 run to bring Maryland's lead to 41-27 with 15 minutes to play. 
  • A physical jumper from Mills extended the Terps' advantage to 47-31 at the 12-minute timeout. 
  • Saunders' fourth three put him in double figures and put Maryland up by 20.
  • Oregon cut into the lead with a 14-2 run. 
  • Washington became the fourth Terp in double figures late in the contest.
  • Maryland closed out the 70-60 win.
Double-Digit Days: 
  • Coit (17 points) scored in double figures for the 19th time this season and the 75th time in his career. 
  • Saunders (15 points) tallied 10+ points for the 15th time this season and the 34th time in his career.
  • Washington (12 points) reached double figures for the 15th time this season and the 32nd time in his career. 
  • Mills (12 points) recorded double-digit scoring for the 20th time in his freshman season.
  • Adams (10 points) reached double figures for the 19th time in his freshman year.
Mills Mania:
  • Mills recorded his 20th double-digit performance of the season with X points and X rebounds on Tuesday against the Ducks.
  • He's scored in double figures in 12 of his last 14 games, and is averaging 19.5 points across his last 10 games.
  • Mills has scored 20+ points four times this season and has reached the 30-point mark twice. 
Diggy Delivers:
  • Coit started the tournament with a 17-point performance, which gave him his 19th double-figure game of the season.
  • In 21 games against conference foes this season, he's averaging 14.2 points per game. 
  • Coit's 71 three-pointers on the season rank 11th all-time in Maryland single-season history.
Buzz Williams' Breakdown:
  • "The thing that translates the most for us is playing with a low turnover rate."
  • "When we don't turn it over, we have a chance to get our defense set."
  • "I thought in the first half, we were arguably as good as we've been."
  • "We have to figure out how to defend without fouling."
  • "Our team has changed a lot, both tactically and in how the roster is utilized."
  • "Our staff was tremendous in making sure we didn't overload our guys."
  • "Our style of play is completely different on both sides of the ball."
  • "We've been in a pretty good rhythm in how we handle prep for our opponents."
Diggy's Dominance:
  • "It gives us the right momentum if we take advantage of it."
  • "We know what we have to do on the court together."
  • "We're a completely different team from top to bottom than we were when we first saw Oregon."
  • "Nobody panicked. We knew exactly what we needed to do and we were all on the same page."
  • "We're going to keep playing hard. We've got to be ready."
Saunders' Sweet Shooting:
  • "We're just taking it one game at a time."
  • "We feel as connected as we have all year. We just want to keep fighting for the guys next to us."
  • "We were able to defend the rebound at a higher level than we have been."
Numbers to Know:
  • 0: The Terps never trailed in the First Round of the Big Ten Tournament.
  • 1: Maryland picked up its first-ever win over Oregon. 
  • 5: Five Terps scored in double figures.
  • 5: Saunders' five threes tied his career high. 
  • 9: The Terps hit nine triples in the win.
  • 12: Oregon's 12 points at the half were its fewest of the season, the fewest Maryland has allowed since 2003, and the fewest in a tournament game since 1982.
  • 20: Mills became the first Terp to record 20 double-digit performances this season.
  • 38: Maryland grabbed 38 rebounds to Oregon's 28.
  • 71: Coit's 71 triples this season rank 11th all-time in Maryland single-season history. 
  • 272: Maryland's 272 three-pointers this season are tied for second-most in single-season Maryland history (2016-17).
Up Next:
  • Maryland moves on to face No. 9-seeded Iowa on Mar. 11. Tipoff is set for 12 PM and the game will air on Peacock and the Maryland Sports Radio Network.
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