National Basketball Association
Maryland 76, Connecticut 66
When: 9:30 PM ET, Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
Officials:
# Chris Beaver, # Tom Eades, # Brian O'Connell
Attendance:
19812
By The Sports Xchange
NEW YORK -- Maryland point guard Melo Trimble and the Terrapins kept their cool.
Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie apparently did not, and the Huskies' valiant comeback attempt died in the closing minutes of a 76-66 loss to the sixth-ranked Terps in the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Huskies (5-3) trailed by 20 points late in the first half before battling back to trim the lead to 67-64 on a 3-pointer by forward Daniel Hamilton with 2:46 left in the game.
Seconds later, Ollie was hit with a technical foul when a foul was called on his team in the backcourt. Trimble then made three of four free throws with 2:44 left to give the Terps a 70-64 lead, and Maryland held on for the victory.
"The technical definitely helped, no doubt about it," Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said. "(The lead) went from three to six. It kind of helped us stem the tide."
Ollie said he hit the scorer's table, which sent some papers flying and that is why he got the technical.
"I don't think it changed (momentum)," he said. "I didn't think it was a foul that needed to be called."
Maryland (8-1) held on in front of a pro-Huskies crowd. The tight finish seemed unlikely in the first half as the Terps put on a clinic and played with energy.
"It is an amazing atmosphere," said Maryland forward Robert Carter Jr., who had eight points and 11 rebounds in his first game at Madison Square Garden. "It is the mecca of basketball. I am just glad I had the opportunity to play here."
Trimble had 25 points and made 14 of 15 free throws.
"Tonight was my night to score," said Trimble, who managed three points in the previous game against Saint Francis (Pa.) on Friday.
Maryland also got a big night from freshman center Diamond Stone, who came off the bench to score 16 points and grab a career-high nine rebounds in just 22 minutes.
"I was really proud of his defense," Turgeon said of Stone. "He was fired up; UConn recruited him hard. He is good."
Connecticut was paced by Hamilton, who had 23 points. Forward Shonn Miller and guard Sterling Gibbs each had 12 points, and guard Rodney Purvis scored 11. Gibbs was held to five points in the second half, while Purvis had 10 of his points after intermission.
"Getting down by 20 really hurt us," Ollie said. "I tip my hat to Maryland. They have a very talented team. Melo Trimble had more free throws than our whole team took."
The Huskies shot 9-for-12 from the line, while Maryland was 23-for-29. Connecticut lost the battle of the boards 45-24 but committed just nine turnovers. Maryland gave the ball away 15 times.
"The first 10 minutes was a tale of the game," Ollie said. "We didn't have any structure. We can't get down by 20. We have to continue to fight."
Hamilton, who had 17 points in the second half, said he was rushing things in the first half.
"In the second half, I took my time," he said. "We had a sense of urgency (in the second half). We have to come out to a better start. The emotion was real good and real high. There were a lot of UConn fans in the crowd."
Even so, Maryland was able to hold off the Huskies.
"When they went on their run (in the second half), that is when it got the loudest," Trimble said.
NOTES: The Terrapins return home to face Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday. ... No. 10 Virginia beat No. 14 West Virginia 70-54 in the first game Tuesday. ... The Huskies host Ohio State on Saturday. ... Connecticut senior G Omar Calhoun is from Brooklyn, and redshirt freshman G/F Terry Larrier is from the Bronx.
Top Game Performances
| Maryland |
|
Connecticut |
|
Melo Trimble 25 |
Scoring |
Daniel Hamilton 23 |
|
Melo Trimble 3 |
Assists |
Jalen Adams 2 |
|
Robert Carter 11 |
Rebounds |
Amida Brimah 7 |
|
Melo Trimble 14 |
Free Throws Made |
Daniel Hamilton 4 |
|
Robert Carter 1 |
Steals |
Jalen Adams 2 |
|
Diamond Stone 1 |
Blocks |
Amida Brimah 4 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
| Maryland
|
76 |
45.5 |
3-14 |
23-29 |
9 |
39 |
1 |
3 |
16 |
| Connecticut
|
66 |
41.7 |
7-17 |
9-12 |
8 |
21 |
10 |
7 |
10 |
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