Maryland Handles Old Dominion, But Second-Half Woes Persist as Big Ten Looms
Maryland men’s basketball took care of business Sunday night, cruising past Old Dominion with a 73-58 win at Xfinity Center. But as the final buzzer echoed through College Park, the real story might’ve been what happened-or didn’t happen-after the game.
The postgame press conference didn’t start until nearly an hour after the final horn. That raised some eyebrows.
Was there a fiery speech in the locker room? A players-only meeting?
A sign of deeper trouble?
Not quite. According to head coach Buzz Williams, it was just a case of film session overtime.
“Sorry for the delay,” Williams said. “I was over time in teaching our guys. I try not to do that.”
What happened on the court, though, gave Maryland fans a few things to chew on. Here’s what stood out from Sunday’s win:
Isaiah Watts Seizes His Starting Shot
With Pharrel Payne still sidelined by a right knee injury, junior guard Isaiah Watts got the nod in the starting five-and made the most of it.
Watts, a 6-foot-3 transfer from Washington State, came out firing. He dropped 17 points-all in the first half-on 6-of-10 shooting, including four makes from beyond the arc. It was just one point shy of his season high and marked a new season best in made threes.
In the second half, though, Watts cooled off, going 0-for-3 from deep. And he wasn’t shy about holding himself accountable.
“I’m disappointed in myself a little bit [for] not playing the way I wanted to in the second half,” Watts said. “But it was a great confidence booster.”
This was Maryland’s seventh different starting lineup of the season, and when asked about Watts’ inclusion, Williams half-joked, “We’ve tried everybody else.”
But there’s more to it than trial and error. Williams praised Watts for his ability to absorb coaching-both direct and indirect.
“He’s able to take what I’m saying about him, but like other smart players, he’s able to take what I say about someone else and apply it to him,” Williams said.
And it wasn’t just about scoring. Williams noted that the unit featuring Watts produced more “turkeys”-his term for three straight defensive stops-more assists, and fewer turnovers than any lineup they’ve used this season.
“I’m not saying that group is the answer,” he added, “but that’s a good start.”
Second-Half Slippage Still a Concern
If Maryland fans are starting to feel a sense of déjà vu in the second half of games, they’re not alone.
The Terps were dominant in the first 20 minutes, jumping out to a 45-18 lead. But after halftime, things got wobbly. Maryland was outscored 40-28 in the second half, and the offensive rhythm that looked so crisp early on all but vanished.
The numbers tell the story: Maryland shot just 34.5% from the field and 10% from three after the break, a steep drop from their 45.2% overall and 52.6% from deep in the first half.
So what changed?
Williams pointed to a shift in shot quality. In the first half, Maryland generated clean looks by playing inside-out-working the ball into the paint, drawing help, and kicking out to open shooters. In the second half, that formula faded.
“I thought we did a much better job [in the first half] of getting the defense in rotation that led to an uncontested shot and/or one more pass,” Williams said. “In the second half … some of the threes we shot were not the same types of threes.”
He broke it down with the kind of detail that shows just how much Maryland emphasizes shot creation mechanics.
“When the ball comes inside-out and the shooter is going to catch it with 10 toes to the rim, they’re going to shoot a higher percentage,” he explained. “Typically, it’s 20-25% more when the ball’s coming inside-out because that’s how you practice.”
By contrast, the second-half offense featured more lateral ball movement and off-balance looks-shots that are tougher to hit consistently.
This isn’t a one-off issue, either. Maryland has now been outscored 135-95 in second halves this season. That includes a brutal 54-27 second-half collapse against Michigan and a 47-37 letdown at Virginia.
Watts acknowledged the issue.
“Without a doubt, that has to be the point of emphasis whoever we play,” he said. “Yeah, I just think that’s it.”
Big Ten Stretch Will Test Maryland’s Mettle
Now comes the real test.
The Terps are stepping into the heart of their Big Ten schedule, and the next few weeks will offer a measuring stick for where this team really stands.
Up first: Oregon on Friday. Then it’s Indiana and UCLA-both of whom are receiving votes in the latest AP poll-followed by No.
24 USC. After that, things don’t get any easier: Penn State, No.
20 Illinois, No. 9 Michigan State, and No.
5 Purdue are all on deck before February even begins.
And it doesn’t stop there. The final stretch includes matchups with No.
25 Iowa, undefeated No. 13 Nebraska, and another date with Illinois.
In total, Maryland will play 18 Big Ten games in 10 weeks. That’s a grind by any standard, let alone for a team still figuring out its identity.
Williams knows the road ahead will demand more than just talent.
“So how can we increase our endurance physically?” he asked.
“How can we increase our endurance mentally? Because we’re going to have to have multiple things that we’re going to have to be able to execute.
And then emotionally, how can our endurance increase as it gets heavier?”
Freshman Darius Adams, who’s about to get his first taste of Big Ten basketball, echoed that sentiment.
“It’s just staying locked in,” Adams said. “Whether or not we’re winning or losing the game, just to keep focused on what we need to do. Everybody needs to do their job the whole entire time and not be lazy just because we’re winning.”
The Bottom Line
Maryland got the win it needed against Old Dominion, and Isaiah Watts’ breakout first half was a bright spot. But the second-half struggles continue to be a red flag, and with the Big Ten gauntlet looming, the Terps don’t have much time to tighten things up.
The pieces are there. The question now is whether Maryland can put them together for 40 minutes-not just 20. Because in the Big Ten, anything less won’t cut it.