SEATTLE – The Maryland men’s basketball team, seeded fourth, faced off against 13th-seeded Grand Canyon in their first NCAA Tournament game, which marked a milestone for 13 of the 15 Terps players. The early moments of the game reflected the team’s nervousness.
Maryland found themselves trailing 7-2 just over five minutes into the first half, failing to score on their first seven attempts, which included three turnovers. However, a momentum-shifting 9-0 run allowed the Terps to take the lead for good, ultimately defeating the Antelopes 81-49 at the Climate Pledge Arena.
“Everyone was a little anxious,” noted guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie. “But we focused on our defense, and that translated to our offense.”
Despite finishing the game with a shooting percentage of 50.8%, Maryland began the matchup poorly, hitting only 1 of their first 9 shots and struggling with perimeter turnovers. As they adjusted to their first March Madness appearance and their inaugural face-off against Grand Canyon, they relied heavily on Julian Reese’s performance inside the paint to stabilize their offense.
Reese initiated the early scoring run with a pair of hook shots and contributed 10 of Maryland’s first 20 points. After making a layup that put the Terps ahead by eight, he gestured to the Seattle crowd, indicating the Antelopes were outmatched. He concluded the game with a team-best 18 points, alongside four rebounds and two blocks.
“I try to be the one who steadies everything when the team faces challenges or feels nervous,” Reese explained. “I took on that role again today.”
After Reese was substituted out, freshman Derik Queen continued to build on the momentum, scoring 12 points and collecting a game-high 15 rebounds while also distributing the ball, assisting DeShawn Harris-Smith on consecutive layups. Queen finished with three assists and two blocks, complementing Reese’s efforts in rebounding as Maryland secured a total of 44 rebounds compared to Grand Canyon’s 33.
“We recognized our advantage inside, and I’m proud of how the guys executed and focused on getting the ball down low,” remarked head coach Kevin Willard. “We played with physicality against a solid team.”
Three Key Takeaways
1. Maryland effectively contained JaKobe Coles. While Grant-Foster stood out for Grand Canyon, the Terps successfully limited Coles, who averaged a team-leading 14.8 points per game, managing only four points on 2-of-8 shooting.
2. The Terps exhibited discipline. Even with three turnovers in the opening minutes, Maryland concluded the game with just eight turnovers. Grand Canyon, known for forcing 15.1 turnovers per game—ranked as the 16th most in the nation—could not disrupt Maryland’s play.
3. Dominance in the paint and beyond the arc. Maryland showcased their superiority both in the paint and from beyond the three-point line, scoring 44 points in the paint and shooting 43.8% from three, compared to Grand Canyon’s 18 points in the paint and a 21.7% shooting percentage from deep.
