Maryland show Hart to pluck Peacocks 90 – 57
Maryland showed Hart early and often versus the St. Mary’s Peacocks this afternoon at Xfinity center to win 90 – 57. First time starter Hakim Hart had six early points and Terps fans watched as he continued to pump in points the entire game to finish with a career high 33 points.
There was some early squawking from the Peacocks bench until Eric Ayala took flight and used a one handed dunk to flash his dominance. While Maryland gave up the first basket, they quickly put together a 14-0 run only 5 minutes into the game.
Maryland continued to establish the pecking order by fanning out ten different players in the first half. Hakim Hart, Eric Ayala, and birthday boy Donta Scott shook their tail feathers to combine for 28 points and 10 rebounds in the first half.
St. Peters did not have a player with double-digit points in the first half and spread out the scoring between seven different players. Fousseyni Drame and Marty Silvera both scored 5 points and combined for 4 rebounds.
Neither Maryland nor St. Peters protected the basketball well with both teams having double-digit turnovers. Despite the turnover issues, the stat line favored Maryland with higher shooting percentage, more rebounds, more assists, and most importantly points 42-23 at halftime.
After the nesting period, the Peacocks came out with early pressure on the Terps and were able to find itself scratching its way within fourteen points. However, Mark Turgeon and the Maryland Terrapins again found Hart. Hakim Hart and Jairus Hamilton looked young scrappy and hungry making several long distance baskets and frustrating the Peacocks enough that starter and leading scorer KC Ndefo was ejected with 13:00 minutes left in the game for an undisclosed conversation with the referee. We assume that the Peacock was crying fowl.
After the ejection, St. Peter’s had several opportunities to find their way but was denied each time. The Peacocks continued to pressure the basketball and found several open shots from beyond the arc, but Maryland would not allow them to establish a foundation on either end of the court of the Xfinity Center.
Maryland continued to use it size and depth versus the non-conference opponents. Mark Turgeon seemed comfortable putting the ball into Donta Scott and Hakim Harts hands. Within 3:00 left in the game, the difference was Hakim Hart. Hart finished the game with 32 points, 1 assist, and 3 rebounds and Donta Scott was all over the scorecard with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists to help lead Maryland walk away with a 90 – 57 win.
Maryland will face its first road test of the season tomorrow against James Madison 3:00 at the Convocation Center.
