The No. 20 Maryland Terps got their season moving in the right direction Sunday, shaking off an opening loss to No. 1 South Carolina and turning in a convincing 81-62 win over George Mason at XFINITY Center.
Back on U.S. hardwood after the trip to Paris, France, Maryland looked far more settled in its second game and used a strong second half to put the Patriots away. The Terps also stretched their run of home success against non-conference opponents to 28 straight, while moving to 11-0 all-time against George Mason.
Oluchi Okananwa set the pace with 24 points and six rebounds, giving Maryland the kind of top-end scoring it needed. It was her 19th career game with at least 20 points. Addi Mack added 15 points and knocked down three 3-pointers, and Bri McDaniel chipped in 12 points and five rebounds as three Terps finished in double figures.
Maryland did plenty of its damage early, too. Mack and Okananwa both got going in the first half, helping the Terps put up 35 points before the break and carry a six-point lead into halftime. The Terps opened fast with a 21-10 advantage in the first quarter, then had to withstand a late George Mason push in the second.
The third quarter is where Maryland took command. The Terps used two separate 10-0 runs and outscored the Patriots 28-18 in the period to create separation and never let the game get close again.
The numbers told the same story. Maryland turned 28 George Mason turnovers into 27 points, scored 36 points in the paint, and got 19 points from its bench. Next up is Columbia, which visits XFINITY Center next Sunday.
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