Maryland men's hoops defeat UMBC in Exhibition Matchup

Fellow Texas A&M transfer and teammate, Pharrel Payne, led the Terps with 26 points on an efficient 9-of-12 from the field and 8-of-11 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed nine rebounds and had three blocks.

After the game, Head Coach Buzz Williams talked about the early team rapport development from the group;

"They're good people, they're trying to figure out what we're asking them to do. Every day is a brand new day. How can we be accountable for our work, and how can we measure our improvement each day? Chemistry is an intangible thing, and I think they're making progress in that way."

Maryland only had eight players available for yesterday's exhibition matchup, as their team currently has some injuries to other players. Even so, it paved the way for more opportunities for new and incoming players that fans are unfamiliar with to get acclimated on the court, develop the team's style of play, and learn how to play with each other.

Outside of Payne, the Terps had three other double-digit scorers in Darius Adams (19 points), Elijah Saunders (13 points), and Turkson Jr. (11 points & 11 rebounds).

The contest was physical, with both teams not creating much separation. Maryland led by eight early in the first half, which was their largest lead of the game. The Terps never trailed in the first half, despite UMBC tying it up at multiple points.

In the second half, the Retrievers used an 11-4 run from the 13:26 mark to the 11:28 mark, taking their first lead of the game, 55-54.

UMBC led 71-65 with six minutes left to go. However, back-to-back three-point baskets by freshman guard Guillermo Del Pino and Adams quickly evaporated that lead.

From there on, it was more of the same with both teams trading baskets down to the final buzzer.

Maryland outrebounded UMBC, 45-29 (17-14 on the offensive glass in favor of Maryland as well.)

The Terps scored 15 points off turnovers, 34 points in the paint, and 25 second-chance points, highlighting their high energy levels.

Regarding injuries to Isaiah Watts and Myles Rice, coach Williams said he'll release the details at a later date to respect the players' privacy and highlighted the changes in health over time.

More from Maryland On SI

Stay up to date with the Terrapins by bookmarking Maryland On SI.